A Stranger's Memories
by Sora W.T.K
Summary: Parvo's up to something, and a fellow Road Rover is suffering from amnesia after being MIA for seven days. But as the memories slowly come back not everything is how they should be.
1. Foreword

**Foreword**

Road Rovers has been a rather interesting show for me. I wasn't one who watched the show when it was on air, but I've seen bits of it for me to recognize the show and its characters wherever I see them. It wasn't until a year or so ago when I finally hunted down the episodes and sat down to watch the show in its entirety. At first I found the show a little too silly for my taste, but a second watch through the short-lived series had me hooked to the Road Rovers universe; the characters, the gadgets, the mythology, etc.

I never expected to find myself writing a story for Road Rovers, given my writing style and interests, once again mentioning how I find the show a bit too silly for me. However, as I mentioned before, I grew to like the characters and the universe, and so after a brainstorm or two here we are. Funny how the mind works sometimes, huh?

I am aware that Road Rovers is, mainly and foremost, a family-friendly comedy show. As you read through the story you'll find that I try to stick to that format, following the show's running gags and characterization. But as much as I try, my stories tend to be with a bit more serious tone. Not just for this story, but for all stories I write. I'm a little nervous, so please, I would like to request to give the story a chance and bear with me.

Also, I would like to give special thanks to author and best friend, Heart of Blades, for supporting me and lending me advice during the writing of this story. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have made it this far and with a story that I'd be pleased with.

And so, without any further ado, enjoy your stay and read through my take and story on the Road Rovers universe.


	2. Awakening

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

He groaned as he slowly came to. His body felt numb, and his head was throbbing. He held his head from the headache as he felt the soft cushions from the bed against his back. Rubbing his head he felt the smooth exterior of bandages wrapped around it, and he half-heartedly wondered how those got there.

Gritting his teeth he slowly pulled himself up to sit by the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees as he buried his face in his hands. His head was pounding, and his muscles were aching all over. He's still in one piece at least, but...What happened to make him feel like mush?

He slowly moved and got off from the bed. He wobbled a little as he stood up on his feet, holding himself steady as he gripped the edge of the bed. He couldn't see clearly. The world around him was spinning and his body was screaming for him to take it easy. It felt like he just woke up from a hundred year sleep.

He saw a mirror on the wall to his left and stepped toward it, almost losing his footing again as he placed his hand against the wall. He clutched his stomach with his free hand as he felt sick to his stomach from the disorientation, and slowly he raised his head to look at himself in the mirror.

What he saw next shocked him.

There was a complete stranger staring right back at him, a dog no less. He looked like a Siberian Husky with blue fur along with pure white fur around his face and muzzle. Ice blue eyes stared back at him, and he also had bandages wrapped around his head just like himself. The clothing around his massive frame was all black, from the boots to the gloves to the robe over his torso.

Tearing his eyes away from the stranger he looked down at his own form and realized that he too is wearing the same set of clothes. He looked back into the mirror and decided that the clothes didn't look as good on him as it does on the dog he's staring at.

He reached a hand up to his face, running his fingers through the fur on his face and began to notice how the stranger is mimicking his every move. _That's no stranger. That's me._

Closing his eyes he sighed through his nose as he leaned against the wall, resting his forehead on his arm. The headache was excruciating, and his body just felt like mush. Maybe he should just go back to bed and get some rest. He really didn't feel like he should be up and about on his feet at the moment.

His ears twitched as they caught the sound of a door opening. He turned his head and was nearly blinded by the light pouring in from the opened door. He covered his eyes a bit from the light and squinted as he caught the figure of a human standing by the door. He seemed to be wearing a white lab coat, and he had white hair.

"Welcome back, Exile." The man spoke as he stepped into the room. "It's wonderful to see you again."

The dog blinked and tilted his head a bit. Exile...That name sounds familiar...

The man noticed the confused look on the dog's face. He took note of the dog's bandaged head and immediately theorized what was wrong with him. "How are you feeling? Do you remember me?"

He was answered with a shake from the dog's head.

"Do you even remember yourself?" The man asked his second question.

The dog stared at the man. Does he know him? It appears so, considering he directed at him with a name: Exile. Was that his name?

The dog rubbed his tired eyes with his thumb and finger, trying to recall anything from his memories that could aid him. To his shock his mind was a total blank. He couldn't remember anything about this man, much less his own name.

However, as he put some efforts into his thoughts, some images flashed through his mind.

"_This is, how we say in Siberia, totally neato!"_

"_Don't be a weird boy."_

"_Please consider therapy..."_

"_I love being Road Rover!"_

"Gck!" The husky recoiled in pain. The mere images assaulting his head worsening his headache. He held his head with one hand as he squinted at the human's direction.

"Nnngh...Who...Who are you?" He finally spoke. Was that a Russian accent hanging on to his words?

The human smiled and introduced himself. "I'm referred to as Master. I am the creator of the Road Rovers. Your name is Exile, and you are a Road Rover. Is any of this sounding familiar? Do you remember anything at all?"

Him...A Road Rover?

"_Freeze!"_

"_Ugh! This is making me see red!"_

"_Bolshoi, these bad mutant doggies are always rushing me around all the time. But can they ice skate?"_

"_I love being easy rider! I am born to be wild dog man!"_

The husky grunted as he held his head.

The images flashing through his head were being more damaging than helpful. He keeps seeing A Cao-Sapien much like him in a silver armor uniform, wearing a red collar and a belt with an R on it. He constantly saw this Cano-Sapien shooting lasers from his eyes. Sometimes they were ice blue; other times they were blood red. Sometimes his eyes would simply glow green, and it aided him in seeing in the dark.

"Easy there, Exile." The Master approached the Husky. "You're still recovering from your injuries, so don't strain yourself. Your memories will come back in due time. Just relax."

The Russian canine slowly opened his eyes to the Master. "What happened to me...?"

The Master shook his head. "You were on an investigation assignment with the rest of the Rovers about a week ago. Why don't you ask them yourself? They're all waiting for you in the living room, anxious to see you back on your feet."

The rest of the Rovers? There are more of them? An image suddenly flashed in his mind as he tried to remember. It was faint, but he saw five of them, one being himself. Are they friends of his? He can barely remember their faces, let alone their names.

He looked back into the mirror. He could barely recognize himself in this state of mind. Maybe the...Master has a point. Maybe he should approach them and ask them himself what happened to him. He would really like to know more about what Road Rovers are, and his role in all of this.

The Husky – apparently named Exile – agreed to the Master's suggestion, and with his help he managed to walk out of the room. The soreness on his muscles soon soothed away, and before he knew it he could walk again on his own will power.

As he made his way to the living room his eyes wandered between the walls, the floor and the ceiling. He felt these halls strangely soothing, he felt safe within these halls. He assumes he must've walked through these halls plenty of times before, it all felt so familiar.

As he walked down the halls he subconsciously found his way to the living room without as much as pausing to catch his bearings, much to the Master's relief. His memories are slowly but surely coming back.

By the end of the hall Exile caught the sight of the living room. He leaned a little against the wall as he casted his eyes over the room, emanating a very familiar aura. There was a loving fireplace with a carpet, a sofa and a TV. Looking at that sofa now it looked very inviting...And yet, something in the back of his mind told him he should stay away from it.

"Rovers," the Master stood in front of Exile. "I believe there's someone here who I'm sure you'd all like to see."

Exile took those steps into the living room and saw others much like him. There were four in all, all dogs from different species. There was a Doberman, a Collie, a Retriever, and a Sheepdog. The former three were wearing that same silver uniform he saw in his vision, while the Sheepdog seems to lack it. Either that or it's hidden under all that fur of his.

They were all watching the TV before the Master called them. Their faces soon beamed when they turned their heads and saw their fellow team mate up and about. "Exile!"

The group jumped to their feet and rushed toward him. Especially the Collie, who rushed at him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. "Oh Exile, it's great to see you up on your feet again!"

Exile blushed. He didn't know how to react to this. To him this Collie was a complete stranger. But to her, Exile seemed to be a good friend. His ears lowered a little as the girl released him. If these are his friends, then why can't he remember anything about them...?

The Husky was soon caught off guard from a seemingly random flash. The Sheepdog held a camera in his paws as he approached him after the Collie backed away. No sooner after the Sheepdog put away the camera in his fur coat with an excited bark he came at him and picked him up into his arms, nearly crushing his bones in a tight bear hug in the process. Strangely the agony felt familiar.

"Heeey," the Doberman let out a whine as he approached the Collie. "Why don't you ever give me hugs when I get hurt?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't usually give hugs to stranga's," the Collie replied with a hint of tease in her voice.

The Doberman looked surprised and held his hands to his chest. "But I'm no stranger! It's me, Blitz!"

Ignoring the usual exchange between the Doberman and the Collie the Retriever approached the Sheepdog as he kept hugging the breath – and possibly life – out of the Husky. With a chuckle he patted the Sheepdog on the back.

"Easy now, Shag," The Retriever said. "He just woke up, don't knock him out again."

The Sheepdog looked at the Retriever and gave a sheepish grin before muttering something back to him - which to Exile sounded like an apology - and setting the Husky down. Finally free from the hug did Exile inhaled the oxygen he was deprived from, clutching his strained sides.

The Retriever smiled as he patted Exile on the back. "How you feeling, buddy?"

He recovered from the crushing hug only to have the headache come back. He softly rubbed his head, fingering the bandages as he panted. "Fine...I think..."

Exile didn't know where this Russian accent came from; it just naturally comes to him. From the memory flashes and given how he sounds and talks he deducts he must be Russian.

"Your 'ead hurts?" The Collie asked in concern as she stared at Exile rubbing his bandaged head.

Exile nodded in response. He looked at the four Rovers, looking them over one by one.

So, these are the Road Rovers. And if the Master was telling the truth he was one of them as well. Yeah, that sounds about right. And these four dogs, they're his friends? He shook his head, unable to recall anything to support that fact other than a blurry image.

"I'm not surprised." The Collie grabbed hold of Exile's arm and leads him to the kitchen to sit him down on a chair. "You 'ad quite a nasty bump on your 'ead when we found you."

The Sheepdog approached the sitting Husky with a dog dish he picked up from within the kitchen. He looked into the dish as he took it and was very grateful to see it full with water, to which he lapped it up gratefully. He never even noticed how dry his throat was until the cool water slithered down his throat.

"A bump?" The Doberman pointed out. "More like a gash, you mean."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was a gash, Colleen." The Retriever scratched his head.

The Collie shot a glance at the two men. She tried not to alarm the Husky by exactly telling how severe his injuries might have been. "Right. Anyway, it was a pretty nasty injury. You were out cold for three days."

Exile stopped lapping at his water as he caught that last part. He coughed a little as he cleared his throat from the water before rasping out "Three days?"

"Yeah..." The Retriever answered for the Collie. "We were all very worried about you. You were in pretty rough shape." He frowned with a sigh as he placed his hand on the Husky's shoulder. "And...I want to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have decided to have us separate like that. Because of me, this happened to you and...Well, it was a bad call on my part, a _really _bad call."

Exile looked at the Retriever. He tried to smile, to let him know that he's sorry for what happened to him.

Rubbing his bandaged head again Exile placed the dog dish down on the table next to him before looking back at the Retriever.

"I..." Exile began to speak, placing his hands together. He didn't know exactly what to say. "Wish I could say it's all right, but...I don't know what you are apologizing for."

The Rovers looked at each other in alarm. They were afraid of this. When they brought him back home his head wound was pretty cringe-worthy. While Colleen did her best to treat the wound they were terribly afraid just how bad the head trauma was. They hoped unconsciousness was the worst of it, but it seems like memory loss reared its ugly head on their team mate. Maybe some brain trauma?

"You mean..." The Retriever scratched his head. "You don't remember what happened?"

"No…_"_

"Exile..." The Collie reached over and placed her hand on the Husky's broad shoulder. "Do you even remember us?"

The Husky looked at the Collie first, then at the rest of the Rovers. They were looking at him with worried faces; they must be feeling devastated that one of their friends was as lost as a puppy. Exile just let out a loud sigh as he traced his fingers through his head fur.

"_Nyet_," he answered in Russian, something that surprised him.

The Retriever felt his heart sink. "None of us?" He then pointed at the Collie. "You don't even remember Colleen?"

Exile looked at Colleen. She smiled at him as her hand was still on his shoulder. Hearing her name did bring something back from the dark recess of his memories.

"_I didn't know you could do that."_

"_Me neither. Must've contracted it during Cold War."_

"_Blitz is missing!"_

"_Ooh, Exile. This is the nicest thing you've ever said to me."_

"_Nice work, Exile!"_

"_My pleasure! May I faint now?"_

"_Be my guest."_

The Retriever moved his finger to the Doberman. "Or Blitz?"

The name rang a bell. Somehow Exile felt a slight sickening feeling in his stomach, and it wasn't from any of his injuries...

"_I am ready Master, to chew on secret stealing buttocks!"_

"_...Don't be a weird boy..."_

"_Before we die, I just want you to know dhat I love you!"_

"_...Please consider therapy..."_

"_I give all my comrades big kiss!"_

"_Stop with dhe kissing or I will start with dhe biting!"_

The Retriever then pointed at the Sheepdog. "Shag?"

The Sheepdog, Shag, grinned. Hearing his name and taking a better look at him, something did come back to him.

Most of the memories he could recover from the Sheepdog related to his hard-to-understand mumbles, his cowardly nature, and of course his habit of getting weapons to aim at the wrong direction. Another interesting fact that came to him was his capability of pulling out, well, _anything_ from his fur coat.

The Retriever then ended his finger at himself. "Or me? Hunter?"

"_Let's hit the road, Rovers!"_

"_You two definitely need a hobby."_

"_To the power of the pack!"_

Hunter...Blitz...Colleen...Shag...And himself, Exile...

Even with the memory flashes he couldn't truly recall any of them. And yet, somehow, this felt right. He felt he could trust them with anything, they felt like family. He groaned as he rubbed his head. That question that's been burning him since he woke up...He _had _to know.

"Comrades," Exile spoke as he leaned forward against the table, resting his elbows on it. The word just naturally came to him and slid off the tongue. He glanced at each of them before continuing. "What happened to me? My head is very fuzzy. My memories, they're...Not there..."

So he really doesn't remember anything. The Retriever, Hunter, scratched his head with a frown. They were hoping _he_ could tell _them_. They only had theories, but they sure would like to have concrete information about what transpired two weeks ago. Where could they start?

"Well…We were hoping you could tell us." Hunter finally spoke.

Exile blinked and pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yah." The Doberman, Blitz, spoke out. "You disappeared for a whole week. We couldn't find you anywhere."

Now Exile was more confused. He disappeared for a whole week? He does recall the Master telling him that he was on an investigation assignment with the rest of the Rovers about a week ago when he woke up.

Something must've happened during said assignment, and he was missing in action along the time frame between the assignment and being brought back home. What happened and where he was during that whole week he couldn't remember for the life of him.

If his math is correct, there are ten days that are shrouded in darkness, seven when he had gone missing and three when he was unconscious.

"Sorry," Exile spoke out with a sigh. "But I don't remember a thing."

"That's quite all right, Exile." Colleen patted the frustrated Husky's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll remember, eventually."

"Colleen's right." Hunter nodded with a smile. "It'll all come back to you. For now, we'll just start with what we know."

"_Da,_" Exile nodded as he sat up straight in his chair. Another Russian word that he somehow knew.

Maybe he can't remember anything now, but maybe listening to what happened before he disappeared could trigger something in his memories. Anything that could help him remember what he went through, where he got these clothes he's currently wearing instead of his uniform, and who did this to him.

* * *

><p>It, at first, started like any other day. The Road Rovers were at their respective homes with their masters, each of them the pets of their corresponding country's president.<p>

But what was expected to be a peaceful day with their owners was sorely changed when the Master called them to Road Rovers Mission Control.

When the Rovers reported for duty, the Master briefed them on the problem.

It appears Mission Control's computers tracked down an unusual energy spike in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Of course, in the middle of nowhere in a vast desert such as the Sahara the location immediately raised a red flag. It's the perfect place for evil doers to hide their plots with no one around for miles to find them.

Unfortunately for them the Road Rovers have caught them either way.

Nothing good was expected out of this. And without any further ado the Masters quickly dispatched the Rovers to investigate.

"Let's hit the road, Rovers!" And with those five familiar words from their leader they were off.

They arrived in the Turbojet Rover a couple of hours later, spotting nothing out of the ordinary from the air as they arrived. The high energy readings the Master discovered couldn't be pinpointed to an exact location, only a rough estimate within the radius of a few miles.

Hunter couldn't help but shake his head at the location. How clichéd can you get?

They set the Turbojet down at a safe distance away from the source of the energy spike and surveyed the area from there through a pair of binoculars.

All they saw was nothing but sand. No secret base, no mysterious tower, nothing. But they had a lot of ground to cover, and they weren't going to get much out of looking through binoculars. Hunter knew that. And so it was decided to take the three Cycle Rovers from the Turbojet Rover's cargo bay and take them out for a spin.

It was supposed to be a simple recon assignment...

Hunter squinted as he tore through the desert terrain on the Cycle Rover. The vehicle was a new version from the double-seated ones, designed as a one-seated motorcycle with a powerful motor and tires specially made for this kind of terrain. He couldn't help but grin a bit, having a blast riding this new baby through the desert.

Coming up on his left was Exile and Colleen on his right side, both riding their own respective Cycle Rovers. Hunter chose to have them come along on field duty and opting to leave Shag and Blitz by the Turbojet should things get hairy.

Plus they needed a pair of eyes to look over the radar over at the Turbojet and alert them of anything coming up on them.

"I can't believe how smooth these babies run over this sand!" Hunter talked through his headset radio over to his two team mates, admiring the handling on the new Cycles.

"Is new tires, comrade." Exile responded as he looked over to his right toward Hunter. "They have good traction on sand."

"Ooooh! So they're not just for chewing after all."

"I don't think these are the kinds for chewing, 'untie." Colleen pointed out as she reached alongside Hunter. "Besides, I don't reckon' motorcycle tires are safe to chew."

"Riiight, because of all the dirt they pick up. I get it."

It was another one of those light-hearted exchanges the Rovers usually have. Even if they don't serve a purpose Hunter finds them a good source of fun and amusement every now and then. They all do.

Feeling that's enough of that Hunter adjusted his headset with one hand. "All right Rovers, let's give this desert a thorough search. The source of the signal should be around here somewhere. Exile, you go west from here. Colleen, you take the east."

"Roger that, comrade!" Exile revved up the Cycle Rover and took toward his designated direction.

"Aye aye, Cap'n!" Colleen breaks from the formation and takes the east.

"And I'll take the north." Hunter talked to himself as he revved up the Cycle Rover to speed up. He then resumed with the orders. "Blitz, Shag, you two keep an eye on the Turbojet and on that radar. You never know when something will try to sneak up on us out here."

"Yah, we will." Blitz responded as he sat on the Turbojet's cockpit with Shag, looking out the windshield through a pair of binoculars while Shag manned the radar. "If we see something we'll let you know."

In a way Blitz was grateful they let him stay in the Turbojet as lookout. He hated the freezing temperature, but he also wasn't fond of the extreme heat. And the sand, don't even get him started on the sand. The beach he could handle, but a desert? Gah!

The Doberman's ears twitched as he heard Shag's mumbling over at the radar. It was always a bit of a pain trying to understand what he's saying with all that yelping.

"What?" He turned to the Sheepdog and shrugged as he looked over at the radar. He wasn't too keen on how some of the Turbojet's controls worked, and the radar was one of those that sometimes confused him. "How should I know exactly how it works? Just keep your eyes on it and make sure dhere are no more than three blinking dots."

At least he _assumes_ those three blinking dots on the radar are their three friends out in the desert on the Cycle Rovers. What else could they be?

Their little exchange didn't do unnoticed through the radio.

"It's really not that complicated, Shag. I'm sure you'll figure it out." Hunter gave his input to Shag's confusion before letting them to their work.

"_Ach, maybe I should have stayed in Turbojet Rover instead." _Hunter could hear Exile grumble through the headset. _"Hot climate such as this does torture for me, comrade. I work better on colder climate, not in heat wave."_

"_I'm sure we all agree on that one, Exile."_ Colleen seems to agree about the desert's scorching sun not doing any favors to any of them.

Hunter looked up at the sun as he shielded his eyes from its rays. They all agree on that one, that's for sure, especially now during summer time. He shook his head and focused on the road ahead. If they just don't think about it the heat won't get to them. Right, now, back to that signal.

He glances to both sides as he searches; no doubt the others are doing the same as well. There was no sign of anything. No camp, no tracks, nothing that could give them a clue about what it is they're looking for.

The Retriever began to wonder if maybe this was just some villain's idea of a joke to throw them way off track from their actual plots. It'd be something new at least.

"Rats..." Hunter muttered as he slowed down the Cycle Rover, coming to a stop near a cliff overseeing the beach not far off.

He checked the computer on the Cycle Rover to take his notes on his location. All right, so that's the Mediterranean Sea he's overlooking. Once more, this is the end of the marked perimeter, and until now he hasn't seen anything.

"Well, I ran into a dead end, guys," Hunter commented into his headset. "And what's worse, I didn't find anythin'. How about you guys?"

"_Nyet, comrade." _Exile reported first. _"Nothing but sand in boots and bright sun in sky."_

"_Nothin' over 'ere either, 'unter." _Colleen was next to report. _"This is mighty strange. You'd think we'd see somethin' by now."_

"_Strange indeed, comrade Colleen. No place to hide, you can see forever in distance. It is very strangeski."_

Hunter frowned and gave another look to his surroundings. There's nothing out here to see other than sand. He narrowed his eyes a bit as he spoke again through the radio. "How about you two, Blitz and Shag? Anything over the radar?"

"_Naw, I can't see anything from the Turbojet."_

Shag's yelps and mumbles through the radio came loud and clear. Nothing on the radar either. Hunter's suspicions were sounding more and more founded within each passing second. It certainly wouldn't be the first time they go into a recon assignment only to find nothing.

"Heh, swell..."

"_Nothing, eh? Bolshoi, this is like being chased by goose in wild."_

"Um...What?"

"_I think h__e meant we've been on a wild goose chase, 'unter."_

"Heh!" Hunter smirked. So that's what Exile meant. He's inclined to agree though; this all seems like just a wild goose chase. But really, it was all a little too perfect. In the middle of a desert, a suspicious energy spike, it had all the red flags of a villain's hide-out making suspicious experiments.

"_So, what we do now, Hunter?" _Exile spoke through the radio. _"Another lap through desert under scorching sun?"_

Hunter chuckled. "I get it, Exile. You want out of the sun." It didn't sound like a bad idea. "All right, we'll take one more lap just in case we missed anything, then we'll head back h-"

Hunter nearly jumped out of his fur when a loud boom pierced through the desert's silence. Through the headset he heard Blitz scream in surprise and Shag's surprised yelps. It seems like the loud sound caught them off guard as well.

"_Blimey! What was that?" _Hunter heard Colleen through the headset. She apparently heard it too.

The Retriever frantically looked around and spotted a pillar of smoke from far off. He squinted to take a better look at it before speaking. "Wow! Did any of you see that? Who decided to go out and set some fireworks off all the way out here!"

"_Mighty impressive if they were just fireworks, 'untie."_

"_Or maybe they just missed us with their bombs. I say we pack up and get out of here while the goings still good!"_

"Exile, did you see that?"

Hunter waited for a response...But none came.

"...Exile?"

Again, nothing. Hunter began to get worried.

"Exile? Can you hear me, buddy?" Again, no response from the Husky.

"Exile?" He looked at the pillar of smoke and felt his stomach turn.

"Exile!" He immediately turned the Cycle Rover around and revved the motor up, shooting off toward his destination.

"Colleen, get over here to where the smoke is as fast as you can! Blitz, Shag, bring the Turbojet over, now!"

"_I'm on my way, 'unter!"_

"_Yah, be right over! Let's go, Shag!"_

Hunter gritted his teeth as he rode the Cycle Rover as fast as he could toward the smokes. The Cycle was going as fast as it could, but to Hunter it just wasn't fast enough. Exile must've either found what they were looking for and got attacked. Judging by how sudden this happened, he could only guess whatever attacked him got him by surprise.

He just hopes he gets there in time.

"Exile!" Hunter shouted as he neared the source of the smoke. There was a piece of machinery on fire and parts strewn all over the sand. He could only guess these were the remains of the Cycle Rover. It was totaled to even say for sure what it was before it got blown to smithereens.

Hunter skids his Cycle Rover to a stop and leaped off, rushing by foot toward the ruins and frantically looked the surrounding area. Cupping his hands to his mouth he called out again, "Exile! Where are you!"

His ears could only pick up the scorching flames behind him, nothing more. It was deadly quiet and there was nothing out there he could see. He looked down and saw something that made his blood run cold.

"Oh no!"

There was blood on the sand not too far off from the wreckage. He rushed toward it and kneeled to it, dipping a finger on it and drawing it to his face for a closer look. Exile's hurt. He looked back and forth between the wreckage and the blood. It was around ten feet away from the wreckage. Something blew up the Cycle Rover, and the explosion shot Exile all the way down here. The blood must be from a wound from the explosion.

"I would not have predicted this..." Hunter now felt sick to his stomach. He stood back up and called out one more time as he searched. "Exile!"

Once again Exile was nowhere to be seen near or in the immediate area. He pants as his racing heart leaves him short of breath, wondering where Exile could be. Did he crawled away and took cover somewhere? Where could he be? Where?

"Hunter!"

Hunter turned around and spotted Colleen arriving. He looked up and saw the Turbojet Rover shortly arriving as well.

Colleen hopped off of the Cycle Rover and rushed over to Hunter just as Blitz emerged from the recently landed Turbojet. "What happened? Did you find 'im?"

Hunter shook his head, trying to find the words. "I-I-I don't know. I just got here and the Cycle Rover was already totaled and I...I can't find him anywhere!"

Colleen approached him and held his arm. "Calm down, Hunter. We'll find 'im. Exile's a tough dog, he can take care of 'imself."

"Yah, that snowball can't be taken down easily." Blitz agreed with Colleen's words. "If he's out there we'll find him."

Hunter, however, couldn't stop from worrying. He looked back at the trace of blood and felt awful. Because of him Exile was out here all alone, with no backup to support him if anything happened. Why did he choose to spread out without a partner? They always went out on the field in pairs, why was today different? _Because you were itching to try out the new Cycle Rovers,_ _idiot!_

He shook his head as he was jolted by Shag's shocked yelps as he ran out of the Turbojet. His message came to a shock to everyone.

"What?" Hunter rushed into the Turbojet with the rest of the team following close behind. He dashed toward the cockpit where Shag went ahead, looming over the radar on the Turbojet's controls.

They all huddled around the radar as Hunter adjusted through the many settings the radar had. Hunter bit his lower lip. No matter the settings they tried there was just no sign of any living being out there in the desert aside from them. Not even from his collar. If Exile managed to get away he should at least show up on the radar, but there was nothing.

"It can't be..." Hunter muttered with a shake from his head. "Nothing..."

Blitz gulped as he held a hand to his chest. "It's like he just disappeared off dhe face of dhe world."

Flooded with worry Colleen looked out the Turbojet's windshield, hoping she would see something, anything, that would help them find Exile. Shag mumbled as he held his head with worry as the Rovers camped in the cockpit. Hunter kept fiddling with the radar's settings, refusing to give up.

This was a trap. They walked straight into it and now one of their own was missing.

_Exile...Where are you, buddy?_


	3. Search and Rescue

**Chapter 2****: Search and rescue**

For the next seven days the Rovers were practically working around the clock. They persistently searched every nook and cranny over the suspected perimeter of the Sahara Desert as best they could. When nothing was found they did a second search through every nook and cranny again.

It quickly became their highest priority for the Rovers, and everyone did their best to aid in the search.

During these tense seven days the Rovers had little to nothing to do...Well, no, that's not true. They had to respond to a few bank robberies. One in particular was a few hours ago, a robbery in a research facility. Other times they would get reports of dogs being stolen from pounds, shelters, and even from right off the streets.

As for the culprits, they were Cano-Mutants. Of course, General Parvo is up to his old tricks.

Strangest thing though, they always seem to arrive after the bad guys made their escape. But of course they arrive just in time to catch some Cano-Mutants before they high-tail it. Either Parvo cooked up some stronger and smarter mutants, or Parvo is getting some help...

But of course you could attribute that to the current crisis affecting everyone's performance. Hunter knows it's affecting his. He in particular felt guilty and responsible. He told them to take the new Cycle Rovers to test them out; he told them to head out in singles rather than in the usual pair.

He shook his head and buried his face in his hands, trying to calm down. Colleen told him many times not to blame himself, but he for some reason had plenty of trouble getting past that part.

He sighed as he sat up straight on his bed, counting the minutes until the Master gives them some good news about the search. He insisted on being out there searching, but the Master wouldn't allow it, stressing for them to get some rest after the near non-stop two day search after Exile disappeared.

He gasped and looked at his collar, seeing the dog tag blinking. The Master's calling them!

Hunter didn't waste any time. He jumped to his feet and stormed out of his room. He ran down the hall and skid to a stop into the briefing room. He looked and noticed he was the first Rover here. Of course a few seconds later the other Rovers arrived.

"Did they find 'im?" Colleen asked as she approached Hunter and the others.

Hunter shrugged. "I hope so."

They all hoped the same. They turned to the large monitor as the Master began to speak with urgency in his voice. "I'm afraid we don't have time for explanations, Rovers. I have just received this data from our satellites."

Hunter held hope. "Is it...Exile?"

The Master turned to the large monitor as images and satellite images were being shown on-screen. "See for yourselves."

The Rovers watched the large monitor. On the monitor it showed a live feed from one of the many Rover Satellites. According to the data the satellites are tracing this from somewhere in Africa, a desert from the looks of it.

Hunter shook his head. It couldn't be the Sahara Desert again. There's _no way_ they would use the same place twice...Would they?

The Rovers gasped at what the video showed.

The live-feed showed an all-too familiar Siberian Husky running through the desert. He wasn't wearing his Rover uniform; he was garbed in black clothing. Despite the little difference they were sure they knew who they were watching.

"Exile!" The Rovers yelled.

They watched helplessly as the Husky fell on the desert sand before quickly picking himself up and resuming his run. What is he running from? The live feed soon showed movement elsewhere. They were Cano-Mutants, wielding laser blasters and giving chase. They were General Parvo's usual army of mutant soldiers.

"We gotta save him!" Hunter shouted.

"There were strange activities in the same area as last week, and we just got this transmission a minute ago," The Master said before turning to the Rovers. "This is urgent, Rovers. We've been searching far and wide for him. Now let's bring him home."

"Yes, Master!" They all responded with a salute.

Without wasting any more time the Rovers scrambled to the hangar. They ran down a corridor and into the hangar room, where all of their vehicles were waiting for them.

Hunter was the first into the hangar bay and wasted no time. He stood in front of the Sonic Rover and pointed to it.

"We'll take the Sonic Rover to make it there as soon as possible. We'll then use the Cycle Rovers when we get there! Now, let's bring Exile home!"

They quickly boarded the Sonic Rover and made the necessary preparations for take-off. With the urgency of the situation they had no time to waste. Exile was in the Sahara Desert, being chased by Cano-Mutants. They just had to get there, and quick!

"Let's hit the road, Rovers!" Hunter exclaimed after getting the Sonic Rover out of the hangar bay and into the sky. He set the jets to full power and shot through the sky at mach speed toward their destination.

As they headed toward the Sahara Desert Colleen kept the team up to date on what's going on by using a handheld data pad she brought from Road Rovers Mission Control. She had the live-feed from the Rover Satellite running.

"How's he doin', Colleen?"

"Not too good," Colleen could barely keep her eyes on the live feed. It felt awful seeing your own team mate in trouble and you're miles away from being any help. "I hope we make it in time."

"Exile will be fine," Blitz commented as he rubbed his fist into his hand. "I'm more worried about dhose Cano-Mutants. Dhey're about to get dheir tooshies bitten when I get my paws on them!" He loudly clamps his jaws shut to prove a point.

Shag whimpered from Blitz's threats before mumbling something to Hunter.

"Don't worry, Shag. We'll definitely get there in time. Just hang on, I'm giving it everything this baby has!" He accelerated the Sonic Rover until they were at max speed.

The Sonic Rover shot through the sky at maximum mach speed, demonstrating why the Sonic Rover is held as the fastest jet in the world. But even with the Sonic Rover's speed it still took them an agonizing long time to get to the Sahara. Hunter could only pray Exile would hang in there.

It felt like forever and the team was mostly quiet from the tension, but they finally arrived to their destination. From the air they could see activity down at the desert, but to stay on the safe side Hunter piloted the Sonic Rover to land from a safe distance.

"All right," Hunter stood up from the pilot's seat and looked at the Rovers. "Shag, you stay in the Sonic Rover and keep the engine running. We're here to pick Exile up and make a clean getaway."

Shag mumbled affirmatively.

"Colleen, Blitz, let's take the Cycle Rovers and find our team mate!"

Blitz grinned and rubbed his hands together. "Finally! Let's commence in the biting of the tooshies!"

"Just try not to wreck the Cycle Rover, would ya, Fluffy?" Colleen teased as she stood up and went straight to the back of the Sonic Rover.

"My name's not Fluffy, it's Blitz!" Blitz groaned as he stood up from his seat. "Maybe I should consider in getting a name tag..."

The three Rovers mounted their respective Cycle Rovers after opening the back main hatch, the same model they used on their previous assignment a week ago. They had a spare fourth one back at Mission Control, to replace the one that was previously destroyed. They needed the solid traction on the sand and the horse power if they wanted to find Exile before the Cano-Mutants do.

Once after turning the ignition and warming up the motors they all shot out of the Sonic Rover and hit the sand, zooming through the desert once again. Hunter made it a point for them to stick together not only because of the Cano-Mutants that are out there, but because he doesn't wish a repeat of what happened last time.

"What's the status on Exile?" Hunter barked through his headset radio to Colleen.

Colleen looked at the data pad she attached to the Cycle Rover. She couldn't help but smile. Exile seems to have stopped running and took cover behind a rock formation in the desert. The Rover Satellite is an impressive piece of machinery for keeping track like this.

"Looks like he lost 'em, 'untie," Colleen reported as she looked over at Hunter to her left.

Hunter mentally pumped his fist as he smiled. "All right, Exile! When we get back there's going to be a big box of doggie treats with his name on it!"

"He seems to have taken shelter near a big rock formation. He looks tired though, I reckon' he won't last for much longer out 'ere."

Hunter nodded. Right, Exile's a dog breed who's not exactly suitable for this extreme heat. Heck, running from a group of Cano-Mutants under this scorching sun isn't suitable for _anyone_, period.

"Okay, Rovers. Let's search for any rock formation we can find and-Whoa!" He barely managed to duck his head under an incoming shot.

The Rovers soon saw Cano-Mutants on their own motorbike vehicles following and shooting at them. Hunter managed to see at least four motorbikes chasing them, two Cano-Mutants on each.

"Aaah! How did they find us so fast?" Blitz screamed as he swerved a little, avoiding the incoming laser blasts.

"They must've expected us coming since they were after Exile. Not exactly a plot twist," Hunter replied. He then glanced back to the other Rovers and said "All right, Rovers. Let's spread out and loose 'em!"

The Rovers did as their leader said. They each took a separate direction, confusing the Cano-Mutants before they too spread out, one on each Rover...And two on Hunter.

"Huh," Hunter frowned as he glanced back to see two motorbikes on his tail. He speeds up to stay ahead of them. "Why do I always get an extra one on my tail?"

Colleen veered her head as she dodged the Cano-Mutants' incoming fire. She glanced back at her chasers and sped up. They tore through the sand of the desert, swerving and turning as the Rover tried to dodge and lose her pursuers. She launched off of a small sand hill, landing hard below but managing to keep her speed and traction. She glanced back again and noticed the pursuers cleared the jump as well.

They were persistent, and it was getting on her nerves.

As they tore through the desert they eventually rode through a patch of land riddled with rocks and boulders. Colleen swerved around the rocks, hoping the obstacles would help her lose them. Unfortunately these Cano-Mutants could definitely chase and keep up.

"Blimey!" She cursed as she glanced back after having a laser barely miss her head. "You're harder to lose than a tick!"

She looked forward and found another rock formation. There was an opening in the middle, but it was very low to the ground. The way to the rock formation was between two gigantic boulders. If she were to get in there she could get stuck. Unless...

"All right then, let's see you follow me through this..."

Colleen sped up and swerved around the rocks that were in her way. She aimed for the rock formation that had a slight opening underneath it and glanced back to make sure her pursuers were right behind her. They probably thought they had her.

She measured the distance she had between her and the rock formation and waited for the right moment. When the time came she turned the handle of the Cycle Rover hard, turning the vehicle and having it tilt on its side.

The Cycle Rover slid on its side along the ground and Colleen curled close against the Cycle Rover. She and her vehicle slid right under and through the small opening in the rock formation and out on the other side. She straightened up both herself and the vehicle as she emerged out on the other side and looked back. A second or two later she heard a loud thud and some pebbles gave way from the rocks.

She smiled to herself as she pulled her hair from out of her face. "Not too bright, are ye'?"

Blitz screamed and whimpered as he was being shot at. He mainly just tried going as fast as he could to stay ahead of them, but he eventually figured even that wasn't enough. He gritted his teeth as he did his best not to glance back at his pursuers.

He shook his head. "Okay, Blitz, think. How are you going to get two crazy Cano-Mutants off your tail...?"

He revved the vehicle as he tried to think on what to do. He drove through the desert while dodging their fire, screaming and whimpering every now and then from how close some of their fire came to hit him.

"Yaaaah!" He yelled from one laser nearly hitting his head. He finally looked back at the Cano-Mutants and shook a fist at them like an angry driver to a tailgater. "You mangy mutts! Watch where you are shooting!"

Blitz screamed as a shot nearly hit his head. "Aaah! All right all right I'm sorry! Just stop shooting at me!"

Nearly on the verge of a nervous breakdown Blitz turned to look at the road. His eyes widened and his ears lowered as he noticed he was about to go off the edge of a cliff. Without any time to swerve or stop the Doberman went over the cliff with a terrified yell.

Instead of stopping themselves the Cano-Mutants followed suit and launched themselves off the cliff after they caught up, landing safely below with little problem. It seemed like the drop wasn't lethal at all. But now they had a problem.

The Cano-Mutants came to a screeching halt and looked around. They seem to have lost track of the Rover they were chasing. They scratched their heads and looked at each other, shrugging in confusion at one another.

As he looked back at his passenger the driver saw something behind them and told his passenger to turn around. When the passenger did he saw just what they were looking for. There was the Rover they were chasing, but he had a weapon in his hands, a launcher. Where he was keeping that weapon during all of this they had no idea.

"I never liked being chased around all day," Blitz growled and aimed his launcher at them. "Let's see how you like it instead!"

Blitz pulled the trigger three times and out shot three metal balls. They looked like they would hurt if they hit their mark, but things got a little more interesting when the metal balls opened up to reveal razor sharp teeth in them. It got worse for the Cano-Mutants when the metal balls showed that those teeth were for chomping!

The Cano-Mutants panicked and took off on their vehicle to get away from the incoming offense. They didn't get far though when the chompers tore into their vehicle and launched them into the air as the motorbike was destroyed from right under them. They had no choice but to continue running on foot as the chompers kept following them.

Blitz laughed. "Yah, you better run, you little pansies!"

As the Doberman put away his weapon Colleen came up near him on her Cycle Rover. She just witnessed the Cano-Mutants running off with their tails between their legs as she stopped by Blitz, a little amused at what just happened and impressed.

Blitz grinned at Colleen. "How did you like that, beautiful?"

Colleen chuckled. "Not bad, Fluffy. Not bad at all. Now let's go, 'unter might need us."

Blitz's ears lowered, annoyed at how Colleen _still_ doesn't remember his name. "You're lucky you're so cute..."

Meanwhile Hunter glanced back as he _still_ couldn't shake the Cano-Mutants. Of course it shouldn't surprise him, he hasn't found anywhere he could go to lose them or even hide. He's just been driving the Cycle Rover out in plain sight. He rode up sand hills and swerved in attempts to kick up some sand with his rear tires to blind them, but nothing he tried could get him free from them.

He drove through a cluster of palm trees. Some were dry while others looked a little brown. Hunter would admit he was a little curious at finding such trees here in the middle of the desert, but of course there are a lot of things even dogs don't know.

Hunter gasped as he veered suddenly, just managing to avoid being shot. He glanced back at his persistent pursuers as they dodged the many palms in the cluster before being out of it and back out in the open desert landscape.

He shook his head and turned to the readers. "I heard of chasing another dog's tail but this is ridiculous!"

He ducked his head to avoid more of their gunfire. He was gritting his teeth as he gripped the handle bars of the Cycle Rover even tighter. They were wasting precious time! Every second they spend out here dodging the Cano-Mutants is another second Exile is out there deprived of shade and water.

Hunter's ears picked up the faint sound of other vehicles coming. He looked behind him and saw a Cycle Rover launch up from behind a sand bank to Hunter's right. It soared over them and scared the leading Cano-Mutant into veering his vehicle in a panic, losing control and wiping out on the sand.

"Surprise!" Colleen cried as she landed her vehicle safe and sound and caught up to the chase.

The second pursuers were in such a shock at what just happened that they didn't notice a third Rover coming up to their right. When they realized it they were too late. Blitz smirked at them as he flexed out his claws and took out their front tire. The two Rovers waved mockingly to the doomed Cano-Mutants before they backed off, putting some distance between them as the Cano-Mutant loses control and wipes out.

"Wow!" Hunter grinned after what just happened. "I would _not_ have predicted that!"

"_You're all clear, 'untie." _Colleen spoke through the headset.

Hunter held his hand to his headset. "You two are the best friends a dog could ever have. You gotta teach me how you managed to launch the Cycle Rover so high like that!"

"_It's all in the momentum." _He heard Colleen chuckle.

"Hahah, right. Now, let's go back to what we're here for. Got a lock on Exile's location?"

"_Yeah, I did but I'm not the only one, 'untie. We better 'urry!"_

"Send me the coordinates, I'll go get him. Right now I want the two of you to get back to the Sonic Rover and prepare to get it up the second I get there. If the Cano-Mutants are here then Parvo isn't too far off, I don't want anything to go wrong now in the last stretch."

"_All right. Be careful, 'unter."_

"_Yah, bring that snowball back alive!"_

Hunter chuckled as he looked at the equipment on the Cycle Rover as he received the coordinates. "Be more than happy to, Blitz."

He wouldn't dream of doing anything less. He revs up the Cycle Rover and speeds off toward Exile's coordinates. He narrowed his eyes as he leaned down against the Cycle Rover as his speed began to pick up. He's putting all of his trust on this new version of the Cycle Rover to get him to his destination. He couldn't wait to find Exile and bring him back home.

As he neared his destination he squinted and growled. He reached into his belt and pulled out his lucky tennis ball. He recognized that human. "The Groomer..."

Indeed. The Groomer stood by a sand hill overlooking a few palm trees and a boulder. They had found and cornered the pooch, and they went through a lot of trouble to capture him to just let him escape now.

The Groomer walked forward as she looked at the sight. Exile laid on the sand, blood was seeping from his head near his left ear. When she arrived with her Cano-Mutants he tried to hide and fight back with his heat and ice beams, but a firm strike to the back of the head made sure he'd heel.

"Take him away," The Groomer instructed to her Cano-Mutants.

Just when the Cano-Mutants were about to collect the subject they heard a vehicle approaching. Before they could even react both Groomer and her Cano-Mutants were swallowed by a spray of sand. It got them coughing as they were covered in sand, and their eyes stung as some of them blinded them.

When the Groomer managed to open her eyes she was glaring at a Retriever mounted on a motorbike. The silver uniform and his tennis ball were nothing short of familiar.

"Hey there, Groomer," Hunter greeted as he juggled the tennis ball in his hand.

"You!" The Groomer spat. She was sure the Cano-Mutants out on the field could hold them off longer than this.

Hunter revved the Cycle Rover as he held the tennis ball in his hand, waving at them with it while saying "I haven't seen you and your army of mutants again in about a year! Did ya' miss me?"

With a wink he dropped the tennis ball by the enemy's feet before taking off on the Cycle Rover, once again blinding the Groomer and the Cano-Mutants in his dust.

The Groomer coughed before ordering the Cano-Mutants. "After him!"

Before the Cano-Mutants could even move the tennis ball that Hunter dropped opened up, releasing a green gas. The Groomer and the Cano-Mutants didn't know what hit them as they all chocked and passed out to the nauseous gas. Falling for the oldest trick in the book ended up being amusing for the Retriever.

"I always loved tennis balls. A dog's best toy," he commented.

Hunter drove the Cycle Rover down to the palm trees and came to a stop. He leaped off of the Cycle Rover and ran straight toward his downed friend. Up close he got a good look at his friend's condition, noticing the wound on his head.

"Exile!" Hunter shook him as he kneeled next to him. He checked him over for any other wounds but stopped himself as he admired the new clothes now that he's up close and personal. "Hey, nice outfit. Where'd you get it?"

Exile groaned a little, which Hunter assumed he tried to answer his question. Good, he's conscious...Well, sort of. But he was alive at least, and Hunter was so grateful for that. A little later and they might've lost him to the Groomer and her Cano-Mutants.

"Come on, buddy." He brought Exile's arm up over his shoulder and helped him up to his feet. "Up we go. I know how much you want to get out of this sun."

Exile was barely conscious enough to stand on his feet; Hunter was basically making all of the effort to hold him up. He must've been through a lot to be this out of it. Hunter couldn't even begin to guess what Exile went through this whole week. He could only imagine what Groomer wanted from him to chase him all over the desert.

"Rovers, I got him!" Hunter contacted back to his team mates. "He's alive, but he's hurt!"

Colleen was the first to respond. _"That's great news, 'unter! But tell me, how bad is he 'urt?"_

Hunter looks over at Exile. "He has a pretty nasty wound on his head, and there's quite a bit of blood. Other than that I can't see anything else. Anyway, I'm on my way back. Get the Sonic Rover ready for launch as soon as I get there."

Instead of hearing Colleen he heard Blitz responding, _"Yah yah, we know we know. We got the Sonic Rover ready a long time ago. Just hurry back!"_

"Right away, Mr. Impatient," Hunter grumbled into the headset at Blitz.

He slowly made his way back to the Cycle Rover all while supporting Exile up...Or more like holding him up. Hunter was worried sick, Exile wouldn't even make the effort to try to stand or move. He was running and defending himself not too long ago before they got here. He prayed the head wound wasn't that bad.

"Come on, buddy. Help me out here," He grunted as he struggled to keep the bulky Husky up on his feet, and himself. He finally made it to the Cycle Rover and helped Exile up on the vehicle, sighing in relief as this day is almost over.

He at first had his doubts. The new Cycle Rover only had one seat; it'd be a tight fit with two people riding at once. It'd be a bit easier if Exile was more conscious so he would hold onto him. The last thing he wanted was to get to the Sonic Rover only to glance back and notice his passenger wasn't there anymore.

"Hey!" Hunter yelped as he reached back and grabbed Exile's shoulders to keep him from falling off the side of the Cycle Rover.

He held him up straight and gave some light slaps to the Husky's cheeks to get him attentive. "Come on, bro, this is no time for you to take a nap. I need you to work with me here."

Exile responded from the slaps, but all he got was something muttered in Russian. Hunter started the Cycle Rover up after making a second check, making sure that Exile won't fall off during the trip. When he was satisfied Hunter revved the Cycle up and took off back to the Sonic Rover.

Hunter constantly glanced back at Exile to make sure how he was doing. He at first went at a slow pace, only slowly picking up the speed as he grew more confident that Exile wasn't just about to fall off.

"So...Some week, huh?" Hunter tried to talk to Exile, maybe as a way to keep him conscious. "I mean, I'm very glad to see you again, Exile. Really, things were just so gloomy back home without you, y'know? It just wasn't the same."

Exile didn't respond, but Hunter kept going with a slight frown. "So uhhh...That was the Groomer back there? What...What happened here a week ago?" He winced as the guilt came back again.

Hunter sighed. "Look, about what happened, you don't have to explain yourself...It was my fault, really. I...I shouldn't have made us go it alone like that. Especially on something we had almost nothing to go on...And-"

Once again he's cut off as gun fire shot right over his head. He glances back to see three motorbike vehicles on his tail. Cano-Mutants, already?

"Oh you gotta be kidding me. They just don't give up! Hang on tight, Exile." Hunter speeds the Cycle Rover up and makes a mad dash toward the Sonic Rover.

"Rovers, the Sonic Rover better be ready!" Hunter spoke through his headset to the rest of the Rovers.

"We read you, 'unter." Colleen responded through her headset from the Sonic Rover as she kept a lookout through a pair of binoculars. "We're good and ready to leave as soon as you get 'ere."

"_Yeah, well, I got a few friends here who want to come along, and I'm not __exactly expecting to take Parvo's mutant lackeys along with us. I'm gonna need a little help on getting them off my tail."_

"Roger that." Through the binoculars Colleen spotted Hunter on his way over to them. She felt at ease when she also saw Exile on the Cycle Rover with their leader. They finally found him, and they're bringing him home.

Colleen turned her head to Shag. "Shag, get your launcher!"

Shag nodded and reached into his fur coat, but what he pulled out wasn't what Colleen expected.

"No, not your lunchbox! Your _launcher!_"

Shag grinned sheepishly and threw aside the lunchbox and tried again. This time he pulled out just what Colleen was asking for, a rocket launcher. The Sheepdog turned to the direction Hunter was coming from and took aim with the launcher.

There was only one problem in this scenario. Shag could never really remember which way to point the thing to.

"Shag, wait! You're pointing it the wrong...Way..."

Colleen could do nothing but watch as Shag pulled the trigger and shot the rocket into the opposite direction that it was intended for. The Sheepdog realized his mistake and watched as the rocket flew through the sky, most likely blowing up a mountain or rock formation in the process.

Shag whimpered from his mistake, but he got a comforting pat on his back from Colleen. "Don't you worry, Shag. I'm sure you'll get it down one day."

Shag smiled and mumbled something to Colleen to which she nodded. "Of course you will."

Blitz then emerged from the Sonic Rover with his own launcher, apparently getting a little impatient in wanting to get out of here. He took his aim and shot the rocket toward Hunter's direction.

Hunter saw the incoming rocket and glanced back at his pursuers. "Sorry guys, but you're not exactly welcomed back home today. Maybe next time!"

He revved up the Cycle Rover and sped up as the rocket whistled through the sky and over his head. The Cano-Mutants couldn't a thing but whimper and whine in shock as the rocket soared straight down and exploded right between them all, blowing them away and out of their pursuit.

"Yes!" Blitz pumped his fist. Great shot if he says so himself.

The Rovers all went back into the ship as Hunter neared it. He slowed down on the Cycle Rover as he got closer and ran up the ramp of the hatch door, coming to a full stop inside of the Sonic Rover. Immediately after he was inside Blitz slammed his fist into the hatch button and closed the hatch doors.

"Blitz, help Colleen with Exile." Hunter began with the orders as he jumped off of the Cycle Rover immediately after returning. "Shag, help me get the Sonic Rover into the air."

Shag was already moving to the cockpit along with Hunter when Blitz went up to the Cycle Rover and saw how Exile was slumped on it. Colleen was already on him examining his wounds, taking great notice of his head wound and other injuries on his body.

"Is he okay...?" Blitz gulped as he saw the Husky's bleeding head wound.

"It doesn't look too bad." Colleen responded. "But we need to get 'im home and fast. Help me get 'im over on the table."

In the cockpit Hunter and Shag were making the preparations to depart. As he told them the Rovers already prepped everything for immediate launch. All it took was the flip of a couple of switches and they were immediately moving to depart.

"Hang on tight, Rovers!" Hunter pushed the throttle of the Sonic Rover and soon they were off the Sahara desert and up into the clear blue skies. It wasn't until they were all clear in the skies when Hunter let out the breath he was holding in as he slumped back in his seat. They were out of there safe and sound, but more importantly they were all accounted for.

He ran his fingers through the fur on his head and smiled to himself. After seven torturous days they finally found Exile, alive and well...For the most part. They were all finally together again.

Both Shag and Hunter looked at each other. Hunter gave a tired smile and held a thumbs up at Shag. "To the power of the pack."

Just as Hunter said his catchphrase a camera flash nearly blinded him. Shag lowered his camera and nodded with a happy bark. Shag's been doing this almost every other day for the past few weeks now, snapping photos out of anything he'd find interesting. They haven't yet asked him what it was for.

Hunter grinned in response, but as he turned his head to look through the cockpit window his grin disappeared as he began to wonder. Parvo was behind this if the Groomer and the Cano-Mutants' presence was of any indication. But what was he trying to do?

Piecing everything together Hunter could assume that Exile was held captive since his disappearance seven days ago. He half-expected their nemesis to destroy them the moment they were in his grasp, but as far as he could tell Exile was just fine.

So, what the heck happened during this past week?

The Retriever pushed the thoughts aside for the moment. For now they had to get back home and treat Exile's wounds. He stood up from his seat and placed his hand on Shag's shoulder. "Keep the Sonic Rover steady, Shag. I'll be right back."

Hunter exited from the cockpit and made his way to the back of the Sonic Rover. In the back Blitz and Colleen both helped Exile off of the Cycle Rover and laid him down on a nearby table. Hunter watched as Colleen examined the Husky's wounds, treating them as best she could with what she had from the Sonic Rover's first aid kit. She managed to clean the head wound and bandaged it, but it'll need stitches for when they get back to Mission Control.

"How's he doin', Colleen?"

Colleen looked back at Hunter. "His wounds aren't too bad, but we need to get 'im home fast for that 'ead wound of his." She turned back to Exile, gently stroking the fur on his head. "He just lost consciousness, but he's breathing."

Hunter nodded. For now he's doing okay, but they got to get back to Mission Control as soon as possible. He looked over at Blitz, who was just sitting by a bench resting his elbows on his knees with his chin on his knuckles.

"Blitz," Hunter called to him.

Blitz looked at their leader. "Yah?"

The Retriever motioned his head to the cockpit. "Get on the radio with the Master. Tell him we found Exile and we need Professor Hubert to be ready for him when we arrive."

Blitz nodded and went back to the cockpit. Hunter watched him go before moving closer to Exile. He watched him as he lay on the table unconscious. He was breathing peacefully, hopefully dreaming something pleasant for a change after what he went through. His eyes moved to the bandages around his head and how the blood was showing through them. He frowned, then sighed.

Hunter looked back at Exile's face. He placed his hand on the Husky's shoulder. "Hang in there, buddy...We'll get you home..."


	4. Return Home

**Chapter 3: Return Home**

"And that's all."

Hunter had just finished telling Exile everything they knew on what happened during these missing ten days of Exile's memories, and during it all Exile listened closely to every word. He reflected on the story, hoping that going over it again in his mind would spark something in his mind. He tried to remember riding the Cycle Rover, he tried to remember how he got captured, and he tried to remember escaping and losing consciousness on the Sonic Rover. All he got were blurry images which were all hard to make out.

"Is any of this ringing any bells to you?" Hunter inquired.

"_Nyet,"_ Exile responded as he rubbed his face in his hands. "I...I'm sorry, comrades. But I can't remember, no matter how hard I try."

"It's quite all right, Exile." Colleen placed a comforting hand on the Husky's shoulder. She smiled to keep Exile's spirits up. "It'll all come back to you. 'Sides, you're safe 'ere, with us."

"Yah," Blitz added and bared his teeth. "And if Parvo tries to hurt you again, I will personally sink my teeth into his tooshie as hard as I can!"

For reasons that escape him Exile groaned as he shook his head and said, "Don't be a weird boy..."

The Rovers all looked at each other and smiled. Now there's something from the Exile they know and love!

"Hey!" Hunter grinned from Exile's all-too-familiar reaction. He patted Exile on the back before continuing. "See? You _are_ starting to remember!"

Exile managed to shed a smile at Hunter. To be honest he didn't know from where that reaction came from, it was just something that came to him, just like his accent and the Russian words. There was just something about Blitz's remark that just disgusted him and the words just rolled out of his muzzle. Regardless of having no memories about it he felt this was a common thing whenever Blitz opened his mouth with something that gets under his fur.

"_Dah_, you might be right." Exile scratched the back of his head with a grin. He must be starting to remember things on a subconscious level, and it's only a matter of time before it all comes back to him. He would wish it would come back to him faster, but beggars can't be choosers.

He looked at each of the Rovers with a slight smile. He placed his hands together and spoke, "I…I'm feeling very grateful for coming to my rescue, comrades. Even if I cannot remember much of the Road Rovers, there was...A feeling that told me you'd be coming for me. I thank you all from the very bottom of my heart."

He gave a genuine smile as he stood up and held out his arms. "I would like to give all of you big thank you hug and kiss."

Blitz gulped, remembering the last time that happened. "W-What? No, you start with dhe kissing and I will start with dhe biting! E-Exile, stop!"

Despite Blitz's complaints Exile managed to scoop the three Rovers in his arms for a crushing hug. As if the hug wasn't enough he began assaulting them with kisses and licks to their cheeks, much to Blitz's disgust. Hunter and Colleen though laughed from the treat as they tried to get their friendly Husky to heel.

"Hahaha, okay okay, Exile! Heel, boy! We missed you too! Hahahah!"

"Blimey, hahahah! Down, boy! That's enough! You're ruinin' my fur, hahahah!"

"Stop it, you snowball! I can't breathe! Uck, dog slobber!"

Extremely happy to see their family back together again and in high spirits Shag couldn't help but join in on the fun as well. He scooped them all up in his big arms, hugging them all against his fur coat in a tight squeeze.

It was all like one big happy family reunion for the remainder of the day.

* * *

><p>Despite finally being awake after three days from a coma it was considered to be in Exile's best interest to retire for the night early. Exile didn't complain as he was exhausted after his terrifying ordeal...Or what he can remember of it at least.<p>

He was still drawing a blank whenever he tried to remember his past, but the Rovers chose not to push. It would be wise to let him rest first and have the memories come back to him a little bit at a time. Perhaps a good night's rest will be all he needs.

Exile stood by the door, eyeing the bed room which was apparently his. Behind him Hunter stood patiently after leading his friend back to his quarters, giving him the space for him to get reacquainted with his belongings.

Hunter eyed his friend, once again looking over the new clothes he was wearing. Being it completely black Hunter got the impression they were specially made for sneaking around and stealth missions. They looked comfortable enough for such a thing as well. He began to wonder again what Parvo exactly wanted with him.

Hunter would ask again, but he's sure he'd get the same response.

"So, how's it feel to be back in your own room?"

"It feels...Pretty good," Exile replied a bit apprehensively. He stretched a little, very much welcoming the slight familiarity of the place. He doesn't remember the room, but there was something about it that made him feel...Safe.

Hunter smiled and nodded. "Well, I'll let you settle back in and get some sleep. You had a long day after all." He turned to take his leave but stopped midway before looking back at Exile. "Hey, Exile?"

Exile looked back at Hunter. "Yes?"

"If you need somebody to talk to about what happened, or if you want to try to remember other things, I'm here for you, all right? Just let me know."

Exile smiled at the Retriever and nodded. "I will."

Hunter held his hand up to him. "Well, night, Exile."

"Night, comrade Hunter."

After Hunter closed the door as he left Exile turned back to his room. He eyed the place. While he had little recollection of the room he could feel the familiar aura of the place. He walked over to the bed and ran his hand over the sheets all the way up to the pillow. This feels familiar...At least, he thinks so.

His eyes glanced to his left and saw a dresser with a mirror. He walked over to it and looked at himself in the mirror, staring at his own reflection. He looked pretty tired, and his fur was just a mess. He shouldn't be surprised; running through the desert under that sun and being missing for seven days can't be good for you.

Exile's eyes lowered as he sighed and spotted a pile of four books on the end of the dresser. He picked the one at the top of the pile and looked at the title. It was titled _Go, Dog. Go!_, a children's book by the looks of it. He opened the book and glanced through the pictures and words. The mere look over the content stirred memories within his mind, and one of them came back to him in a slight blur.

"_I do not understand this book called 'Go, Dog. Go!' Why does the boy dog not like hat of the girl dog? Seems like perfectly fine hat."_

"_Well, you gotta read the whole thing, Exile."_

"_Oooh, there is pay-off. Aaah, I will read on."_

Exile closed the book. He remembers now how the story ends. The boy dog turned out to actually like the girl dog's hat after all. He remembers crying over the joyous ending, followed by giving Hunter one of his big hugs.

He turned back to set the book down and looked through the other three books, finding signs that someone's been reading through them as well. They were mostly books for children and young adults, but the book at the bottom caught his attention the most. He dug it up and looked at the title. It was written in Russian, but he was surprised that he could understand it, let alone read it.

"_Life of Alexander Nevsky_," Exile read the title out loud. He let the name simmer in his thoughts. It had a nice ring to it. "Alexander…"

He opened the book and skimmed through it, his lips wording the words as he read. Much like the title indicated the book was about the life and career of Russian ruler and military leader, Alexander Nevsky. It described him in the most fascinating light, the words had him hooked as every now and then he would actually find himself reading from the book out loud to himself at the most interesting and intense parts, such as Alexander's battle against the Teutonic Knights in 1242.

The man led a fascinating life, and while Exile wanted to read more in detail he wasn't sure he had the energy now. He set the book down back on the dresser and looked up into the mirror, once again face to face with his own reflection. He feels like he's beginning to know more and more about this dog staring back at him through the mirror after going through some of his things, but he stills has more to learn and uncover.

"Well, comrade." Exile crossed his arms over his chest as he began to talk to his own reflection. "Your name is Exile, and you are Road Rover. You've been missing for seven days with Groomer and Cano-Mutants after you." He leaned against the dresser. "But why...What they want with you..."

The mere thought haunted both him and the other Rovers. Why was he kidnapped, and what did they want with him, and what did they do to him – if anything – during those seven days? Exile knew that if he could remember those details the Rovers could help him further and make plans to find and go after the ones responsible if there was more to the plans.

He shook his head and looked down at the clothes he's wearing. The black clothes he was found in, obviously given to him by his captors. In a way he felt disgusted even wearing these. It made him look like a bad guy from one of those movies set in space with the laser swords and guns. He doesn't remember the title but he's getting the vibe Hunter used to went on and on about them.

"Why am I still wearing this?" He finally asked himself the question that's been on his mind.

He pulled off his gloves then proceeded to take off the robe before discarding them aside. He opened his closet for something better to wear and found something that made him gasp and freeze in his tracks. He stared at the thing, tilting his head as he analyzed the thing with his eyes. When he came back to the mirror he stared at the reflection, gently placing his fingers over the reflection in the mirror.

He looked at the silver chest plate and the red belt. It fit him just right, and everything about it felt familiar. He adjusted the gloves and patted the boots on the ground as he got a feel of the material, then looked back at the mirror and stood tall and proud as he placed his fists on his waist, mirroring a mental image he had ever since he set his eyes on the uniform. His blue fur complimented the armor, and it just felt...Right wearing the thing.

"Huh," he hummed, slowly forming an accepting smile. "This is better, I suppose."

There was a surge of emotion stirring within him. It was a pleasing feeling. He deciphered it and knew what he felt. It was pride. He couldn't help but smile. This felt incredible; he couldn't help but feel proud as he wore the uniform. It felt like he was just reunited with a long lost relic, something he truly adored. He felt like himself again, finally matching the images of himself wearing this exact suit.

With a broad smile he stared back at the reflection. Any minute now it might stir more of his memories.

...But none came.

He sighed in frustration and looked down at the discarded clothes. He picked them up, contemplating on getting rid of them to put behind him whatever unpleasant memories it would return to him, but something stopped him from doing so. There was something about it…

For seemingly no reason Exile stuck his hand into the robe and found a hidden pocket inside. How he knew about it he couldn't remember, but once his hand was in it he felt something. It felt metallic and round, a little cold to the touch.

Raising an eyebrow Exile pulled it out of the pocket and looked at it. It was a round metal container, a little nuclear reactor from the looks of it. This looked potent enough to power any kind of machinery that required plenty of power. Only question is how did this end up in Exile's belongings?

His ears twitched as they heard the sound of the alarm. He looked up as he heard the blaring sound. There's an emergency out there, and the Master wants the Road Rovers to report to the briefing room.

For a moment he hesitated. Would he be a burden by going out there with little to no memories about his experiences as a Rover? Not to mention the injury to his head from which he still had a bit of a headache from.

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head with a snarl. "Peh, I am going."

Exile placed the item back into the robe's pocket and stored it away in his dresser before heading out of his room. His instincts as a supposed Road Rover told him to report for the situation, regardless of the condition he's in.

* * *

><p>"Parvo's Cano-Mutants have been spotted again, Rovers." The Master began briefing the team on the latest emergency. "It seems like they've moved from robbing banks to another research facility."<p>

Hunter rubbed his chin. Yeah, their last robbery was on a research facility as well. Much like the bank robberies they were late to the party and the main thieves already went off with the goodies. They did have some Cano-Mutants left to deal with, but no real clues as to who or what made the steal.

"Any ideas on what they're after?"

The Master shook his head. "From what we know the Cano-Mutants have stolen a Cellular Stabilizer from their last robbery three days ago. It's difficult to say exactly what Parvo's up to, but with such a device in Parvo's hands, I'd be lying if I said it didn't worry me."

Everyone agreed. The Rovers had little to no idea what a Cellular Stabilizer is used for, but if Parvo wants it then it can't be good news.

"For all we know I reckon' Parvo could be making stronger Cano-Mutants with it," Colleen spoke out her thoughts.

The Master nodded. "All the more reason to find out what Parvo is up to, and stop him in the act."

Blitz glanced to his right and noticed they were one head short. Scratching his head he looked over at Hunter. "Hey, aren't we missing someone? Where's Exile?"

Hunter glanced at Colleen who returned the same glance. Yes, Exile's missing, that's for sure. But after just waking up from a three day coma and still seeing how tired and weak he was they all decided it may be for the best to leave him out of the action for a couple of days.

"We thought it would be best for Exile to stay behind." The Master was the one who responded for them.

Blitz yawned before responding, his shoulders sagging from how tired he felt. "Lucky dog."

"In any case," The Master went on. "You all have a mission to do, Rovers. Stop the robbery in progress, and find out what Parvo is up to."

Hunter faced the Master and nodded. "We understand, Master." He then turned and pointed toward the hangar. "Let's head out!"

The team agreed and all made a dash toward the hangar bay, but just when they were about to take their leave one of the doors to the briefing room was pushed wide open. A loud bark immediately made them stop in their tracks.

"Wait!"

The Rovers turned to see Exile running into the room. He was wearing his Rover uniform, and in a way it made them a little glad. It meant Exile's slowly starting to come back to them. But seeing him up, and in his Rover uniform…

"Exile." Hunter turned to face the incoming Husky.

They knew what Exile was here for.

Exile panted as he made it up to the team. His memories of Mission Control were still a little cloudy, and he almost got lost a couple of times trying to find where they usually assembled before a mission. He took a left instead of a right, a right instead of a left, but he was satisfied he managed to find them before they left.

"I…" Exile took a breath. "I am going with you."

The team traded worried glances. They weren't sure about letting Exile out on the field again so soon, especially after waking up from a three-day coma. They wanted him to get some rest, at least keep him out of the field until he was well enough.

"Exile…" Hunter scratched the back of his neck, trying to find the words for this without hurting his friend. "I…We thought it might be better if you sit this one out."

"Yah. You're not exactly all dhere in the head," Blitz added while drilling a finger to the side of his cranium.

"'ey!" Colleen frowned and elbowed Blitz in the stomach, knocking the breath out of the Doberman to shut him up. "That's not what we mean." She turned her head to Exile. "What we mean is, you're still 'urt from what 'appened in the desert, and-"

"No!" Exile startled them all with a shout as he waved his hands to the sides, letting them know that excuse won't work. "I am fine. I _want_ to go!"

The Rovers were more than silenced by Exile's determined glare; he was really determined to go. Exile couldn't explain from where this determination within him comes from. He knows the Rovers have his best interest at heart, he completely understands from where they're coming from. But something inside of Exile just refused to sit around and do nothing. He wanted to go out there and help the Rovers with their mission.

From where the Master watched he could see Exile wasn't going to back down. He sighed and took a step forward. "Exile…Are you sure?"

"_Dah_," Exile replied, once again letting loose a Russian word. He looked over at the Master and pointed his thumb to his chest. "I am a Road Rover; I should be out there and help comrades fight!"

There was fire in his eyes, a look the Master knew all too well. Exile was always the proudest of the Rovers, never one to turn down an assignment or an opportunity to help his friends. That determination is one of the reasons why the Master chose Exile to be a Road Rover. He was a bit more assertive and pushy than usual, but the determination was there.

Hunter knew he was cornered. He nodded in agreement in the end. "All right, you can come along. But be careful, all right?"

Exile looked at Hunter and gave a firm nod. "Right, comrade, I will be careful."

Hunter smiled. "All right, then!" He turned to face the door to the hangar bay and pointed. "Let's head on out, team!"

The Master watched as the Rovers took running toward the hangar bay. His eyes went to Exile and took a step forward to stop him. "Exile."

Exile was about to follow the Rovers when the Master stopped him. "Master?"

He _is_ called Master...Right?

"Before you go, this is for you." The Master reached into his lab coat's pocket and slid something across the table toward Exile. "Your collar."

Exile stepped toward the table and picked it up. It was a red collar with a dog tag. Exile tilted his head as he examined the collar. Funny, he knew something looked off when he saw himself in the mirror not too long ago. He was missing this dog collar. _His_ dog collar.

"It'll help you stay in touch with the others, just in case." The Master explained one of the collar's functions to Exile, just to remind him. "Plus, a dog shouldn't go around without his collar."

Exile couldn't help but smile at the Master's last touch there as he strapped his collar back around his neck. Now the uniform was a complete set, and Exile truly felt like a Road Rover. He looked down at the dog tag and flicked it gently with his finger.

"Thank you, Master," Exile said, smiling at the Master.

The Master nodded with a smile. "Be careful out there, Exile."

Exile nodded. "I will_._"

With that said and done Exile reunited with the rest of the Rovers down at the hangar bay. The room was huge and spacious with a big insignia in the middle of the floor, the Rover's insignia. Exile scanned the place with his eyes, amazed at the space of the room. He watched as an automated machine brought to them a white aircraft. It looked familiar, but Exile couldn't put his finger on it.

Either way, it looked great, and it looked fun to drive.

"Colleen, Blitz, you two take the Sky Rover." Their leader began issuing them their vehicles as usual.

Blitz beamed and mentally gave many thanks. Every time a mission comes along the Doberman would always be paired up with Exile despite his hopes of being paired up with Colleen. He always had a crush on Colleen and seized every opportunity he could to swoon her, even hoping they'd share a vehicle together on their way to their mission.

Blitz grinned toward Colleen's direction as she walked by him toward the Sky Rover. He was giddy with excitement. "So, we're finally going together. I can't believe this is happening!"

"Right..." Colleen arched an eyebrow at the Doberman with a slight smile. "But if we're going to work together, I reckon' we should introduce ourselves first. I'm Colleen." She then pointed a waging finger at Blitz. "And you are again...?"

It was at that remark that Blitz's jaw dropped. She couldn't possibly be serious...

Blitz nearly cut himself with his own claws as he held his head in frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you? My name is Blitz!"

Exile raised an eyebrow. It struck him as something familiar the little exchange between Blitz and Colleen, and for the second time today Exile felt the urge to call Blitz a weird boy again. He shook his head, but stilled his tongue.

"Exile, Shag." Hunter faced the center of the hangar and pointed. "We'll take the Street Rover."

Exile turned to the center and watched as the insignia in the middle of the floor opened up. A platform rose from the hole and lifted up to them a red car, the front and hood in shape of a dog's head, complete with the eyes as the headlights and teeth bared.

Exile went up to the Street Rover and placed his hand on the vehicle, admiring the paint job and the seats inside. He couldn't help but smirk. "Street Rover, eh? Looks like good vehicle!"

He watched as Hunter stepped on a pad by the edge of the car, opening the doors. "Yup, ol' Street Rover here has never let us down! It's comfortable, fast, and best of all you can stick your head out the window!"

Exile beamed as he rubbed his hands together. He may not remember riding the Street Rover at all, but all in all he was still a dog, and sticking your head out the window of a moving vehicle sounded so heavenly his tail began to wag. "Hahah, this is going to be so much fun!"

Hunter arched an eyebrow with a smile. Maybe it was just him, but Exile's vocabulary has been a lot better than usual. He shook the thought aside for now; they have more important things to do. He jumped into the Street Rover right into the driver's seat while Exile went around and jumped into the passenger's seat after Shag climbed into the back seat.

Hunter turned the ignition while Colleen made the preparations on the Sky Rover for take-off. With the preparations done – and after putting on their seatbelts – Hunter nodded approvingly and held his finger out down the runway. "Let's hit the road, Rovers!"

Hunter stepped on the gas and the Street Rover shot out forward through the hangar bay's hatch – modeled after a doggie door no less – while the Sky Rover made its exit up through a tunnel up through the ceiling of the hangar. Soon both vehicles were out of Road Rovers Mission Control and set toward their destination.

Exile rubbed his fist in his hand. He was excited, more than ready to be out on the field and, well, being a Road Rover. Deep inside he felt that he loved this kind of action despite missing the memories that support the feeling. Either way, he refused to miss this.

He glanced back at Shag, seeing the Sheepdog looking a little nervous about the mission, but he mostly kept his cool. His temperament didn't come as a surprise to him, somehow.

He looked over at Hunter, the leader of the Rovers, who was currently sticking his head out the window with his tongue hanging out. That looked typical behavior for him when he was behind the wheel of the Street Rover, at least Exile thinks so. Must be why Hunter likes the Street Rover so much.

He stuck his head out the window for a moment to look at the Sky Rover. A part of him made him feel he'd be more comfortable on that one, most certainly piloting the vehicle.

Hunter glanced at the Husky. He was still worried about having him come along, not entirely confident that Exile should be out and about after just waking up from the coma. "How ya feelin', buddy?"

Exile blinked and stuck his head back into the Street Rover. "Um, I'm feeling fine, comrade."

Hunter nodded. "Cool. Hope you're ready for this."

"Never been feeling more ready," Exile said, trying his best to look the part. His memories may be gone, but his spirit as a Road Rover was burning more than ever.


	5. Memory's Whisper

**Chapter 4: Memory's whisper**

It was a slow moving process. This was one of those research facilities with good security. Of course they all always had the security to guard the items they had inside. It was always a bit of a challenge getting in.

Two Cano-Mutants were standing right outside the research facility, guarding the entrance they made for themselves through the wall. As expected they were packing heat, a laser blaster for each of them. To them the night seemed normal, nothing out of the ordinary so far.

That is, until someone suddenly came out of nowhere and stood in front of them. The Cano-Mutants could recognize that silver uniform anywhere. He was a Cano-Sapien, their master's most hated enemy.

The Cano-Sapien smirked as he juggled a tennis ball in his hand. "Nice night, eh guys?" He held the ball up to them. "Up for a game of catch?"

Before the Cano-Mutants could point their blasters at him the Cano-Sapien took off running. His speed was so great he left behind a trail of fire.

The Cano-Mutants were more than eager to leave their post to go after the intruder and chased him right into the nearby woods. No red flags were raised when the Cano-Mutants noticed the Cano-Sapien would periodically stop and glance back to make sure they would follow. They merely followed and fire away whenever he was within their sights.

The Cano-Sapien led them on to a tree, where he easily ran up along the bark with his Super Speed to hide within the leaves. The Cano-Mutants ran toward said tree and began firing blindly into the leaves, hoping they'd hit the intruder and take him out. They failed to take notice of a tennis ball rolling and stopping by their feet until they ceased fire.

The Cano-Sapien that they were chasing was way ahead of them. He was leaning against a tree behind them and watched the tennis ball detonate and send the Cano-Mutants flying, slamming them against the trees and knocking them out cold.

"It's always the basics," Hunter commented before running back to the research facility.

He ran through the hole in the wall only to stop a little ways in. He crouched and hid near a corner, listening and watching for any movement of anyone near him. When he was sure that he was alone he held his hand up to his headset.

"All right, I'm in," he whispered.

"_We're in too, 'untie," _Colleen was the one to respond.

Hunter nodded. "Great. Where are you guys?"

"_A little closer than you might think."_

Hunter froze as he felt a tap on his shoulder. For a moment he thought the enemy had already caught him. He held his breath as he looked over his shoulder, but was once relieved to find it was only Colleen. She was right; she _was_ closer than he might've thought.

"Oh, there you are." Hunter smiled as he got up to his feet. "Had any trouble getting in while I was gone?"

Keeping low in the hall behind Colleen was the rest of the Rovers. They were all in, just as Hunter expected.

Colleen shook her head. "None so far, I reckon' the rest are deeper inside."

Hunter nodded in agreement. By this time they're expecting the bad guys already gathering the things they want to steal. They would have to move fast.

Hunter scratched his chin as he began to hatch a plan. First things first, they would have to secure and block the enemy's escape route. Once that's taken care of, they would just need to find the culprit, slap the cuffs on 'em and go home. Easy as pie.

He glanced at each member of the team, going over what they each do best. Colleen would definitely come in handy when a big fight breaks out when they corner the bad guys. Shag could give them some backup with the weapons he's most likely carrying in that fur coat of his. Blitz...Well, he knows how to fire weapons, and his claws and teeth could come in handy in some ways.

As for Exile, Hunter doesn't know how he feels yet having him around. One the one hand he's glad the Husky still has that fire of a Road Rover, which is usually a good sign. But on the other, well, the poor guy's been through hell these past ten days, with little to no memories about who he even is, and it's a coin toss whether he knows or not how to handle weapons, let alone his super powers.

"All right," Hunter came to a decision. "Blitz, Colleen, you two head down that hall to the back of the facility. Shag, Exile and I will head this way around to the front. We'll find the thieves and sandwich them inside."

Blitz couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Not only did he arrive here sharing the Sky Rover with Colleen, but he's going to spend the rest of the mission with her as well? He couldn't believe his luck. Maybe Exile should get head damage more often.

"Don't worry, Colleen," Blitz grinned as the Collie walked past him. "I will make sure to protect you from anyone who tries to do you harm."

Colleen waved a hand back at him. "We'll see to that, Fluffy."

"It's Blitz, not Fluffy..." Blitz growled in frustration. He soon lightened up. "But I promise you, if anyone tries to lay a paw on you, I will bite them in the tooshie and make them regret it!"

Exile arched an eyebrow at the Doberman. His eyes narrowed from the description as his ears flattened against his head in disgust. He couldn't help himself from softly cuffing the back of Blitz's head as he walked past him.

Blitz yelped from the hit, "Ow!"

"Don't be a weird boy," Exile found himself saying again.

Hunter held back a chuckle. The two teams then went about their separate ways, keeping quiet as they search for the culprits of this robbery.

Hunter pressed his back against the wall by a corner, holding his tennis ball pistol in his two hands. He peaked around the corner to check. The following hall was empty, not a Cano-Mutant in sight. This place was huge. He wondered where they would be. He tilted his head a bit to try to hear for any noise that would lead them to the enemy. He heard something all right, the whimpering sounds of a scared dog.

"Shhh," Hunter hissed back to Exile, holding a finger to his muzzle. "Quiet, I can't hear anything."

Exile blinked. He was being quiet as a mouse. He looked over his shoulder and saw Shag trying to hold back his whimpers. The deafening silence and the emptiness of the halls must be getting him anxious.

"Easy there, big dog," Exile tried to calm the Sheepdog down. "Take deep breath and calm down."

Shag whimpered a little before following Exile's advice. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. He was a little pleased when he found himself a bit calmer and held his hand up to Exile, placing the tip of his thumb and finger together in a circle, giving the okay.

Satisfied with that over Hunter turned back to the corner and tried again to listen. Now that Shag was quiet he could hear further down the hall. But for all the good it did he couldn't hear a thing. On the one hand they´re safe for now, but on the other it means they´re further in, probably already going through with the stuff they came for.

He glanced at the others and motioned to them. "Let's go, and keep quiet."

With a nod from both of them Hunter led the way down the hall. He took quiet steps while keeping his pistol at the ready, just in case. Hunter couldn't believe his luck. During the last couple of robberies they were always beaten to the punch, just missing the thieves by minutes. This would usually be the time they run into a group of mutants left behind to deal with the Rovers while the others made their getaway. It made the Retriever wonder what made them slip this time.

As Exile followed behind Hunter his eyes wandered the halls. Ever since they got here the research facility's been stirring something in his thoughts. Little by little he began recovering glimpses of the past, his past.

He held his head a little, more from being tired than in pain from a headache. He barely recalled being in a facility similar to this one, sneaking through the halls and barging through doors. Maybe he was remembering a previous mission he went through as a Rover, similar to this one? It was pretty vague.

They resumed down the hall until they came up to a closed door. Hunter pressed himself to the wall next to the door and waited until Exile and Shag followed his example. Exile was doing pretty well for himself so far, given the amnesia he's going through. Either he still remembers how it's done as a Rover, or he's just following his example to the dot. He hoped it was the former.

He blinked as he noticed the odd look in Exile's face and immediately began to wonder if he was really up to this. He looked a little lost in his thoughts, and it's that kind of distraction that can quickly change things when they're dealing with something as dangerous as the Cano-Mutants.

"Exile? You're doing all right there?"

Exile shook his head to clear his head. He gave a nod and a thumbs up to the leader. "Uh-huh, I'm okay. Never better."

Hunter really wondered, but he put it aside for now and smiled, keeping the mission as routine as possible without bringing back to subject Exile's condition. "If you say so."

He turned back to the door and tried to open it, only to find out that the door won't budge. "Darn, it's locked."

Either they didn't come this way, or they clearly wanted to keep others out.

"Maybe I can barge through it." Exile suggested, placing his hands on the door after cracking his knuckles. "You know, break it down."

Hunter gave him a look from the idea. "You mean, just break it down?"

Exile nodded. "Yeah. I used to do it all the time, right?"

"That...Would be the first time you _ever_ suggested the idea."

Exile blinked. "It would be?"

Hunter nodded. Exile scratched his head, feeling a bit confused. He _swore_ he used to do it all the time in a pinch. Well, at least from what little memories he recovered. He vaguely remembers barging through locked doors with his shoulders, sometimes breaking them by putting his two hands together and smashing them into the door.

"I think I got a better and quieter idea." Hunter snapped his finger. "You think you can use your heat vision to cut through the lock?"

"Um...Sure. No problem," Exile said with a shrug.

He kneeled to be at eye level to the door's lock and glared at the lock. A second or two later a bright flash made both Exile and Hunter flinch. They both noted Shag with his camera again just taking another picture. He made a nervous grin as he lowered his camera, realizing he just made them lose their focus and risk getting caught from the flash.

"Just what are those pictures even for?" Hunter asked, finally deciding to get to the bottom of this.

Shag mumbled a word to the leader as he put the camera away in his fur coat. Hunter made out the word 'Surprise' from the Sheepdog's mumble.

"Huh, okay," Hunter raised a brow, but shook his head and looked back at Exile. "Okay, Exile, cut through the lock with your heat vision."

Exile nodded and stared into the lock. He glared at it for a minute before realizing one little thing. He blinked and arched an eyebrow, turning his head up to Hunter. "Erm, sorry but uh…Heat vision, comrade?"

Hunter and Shag looked at each other. Uh-oh.

"Um, yeah." The Retriever pointed at one of his own eyes. "It's one of your super powers, remember? Your eyes give a pretty cool red glow before you shoot this hot laser that can cut through anything." He held up three fingers. "One of your three vision powers: Ice beam, Night vision, and Heat beam."

Exile quickly made a mental check. He remembered something about that a little while after he woke up, when some of his memories as a Road Rover came to him. Yeah, that's right. One of his powers is an extremely hot laser beam that he can shoot from his eyes. He often used it to make repairs.

Exile scratched the back of his head. "_Dah_," He nodded. "I think I remember something like that." He looked back to the door lock and squinted as he concentrated while Hunter and Shag watched in anticipation.

Hunter grinned as soon as he saw Exile's eyes beginning to glow. "That's it, Exile!"

Exile smiled as he gained access to his heat vision. He giggled after shooting a small beam from his eyes and glanced at Hunter. "Wow, I love being a Road Rover."

Shag yelped happily while Hunter gave his friend a thumbs up. "You'll have your memories back in no time!"

"You bet," Exile nodded, happy to have his friends' support and encouragement. The feelings were a bit alien to him, but he embraced them nonetheless. It made him smile and feel like a somebody.

He turned his head back to the door to follow on the leader's request. His eyes glowed red before a laser streamed from his eyes and into the door lock. He was amazed at how the heat did its work on the metal, never bothering his eyes.

As Hunter watched Exile work his magic he heard his headset go off. Looks like the others found something, or they might be asking for help. He brought his hand up to his headset and responded.

"Colleen? Blitz? Everything okay?"

"_Just dandy, 'unter. Listen, we found the thieves. It's Groomer and the Cano-Mutants."_

"Somehow I'm not too surprised to hear that. We'll get there as soon as we can; we're having a little trouble here with a locked door."

"_I can see where you 'gents are from the signals of your collars. You're not far off from where they are. About two doors close. There's another way to the room where the Groomer is, you boys can block 'er exit from there."_

"How you know we're exactly that close?"

"_Blueprints, 'untie."_

"Wait, you got a map of the place?"

"_You'd be surprised at what our own equipment can do if you actually tried 'em."_

Shag reached into his fur coat and pulled out a PDA the Rovers use. After the press of a few buttons Shag barked excitedly at Hunter and handed over the device to him. When Hunter looked into the PDA he realized that they _did_ have access to the map of this place. He could even see in which part of the building Colleen and Blitz were in.

Hunter palmed his forehead. "Huh, now I feel silly."

"Got it!" Exile dismissed his heat vision after cutting clean through the lock. He fiddled with the mechanism and unlocked the door, smiling as he stood up from his kneeled position and gently pushed the door open.

"Good work, Exile!" Hunter nodded to the Husky's good work. "We'll be right over, Colleen. For now sit tight and keep an eye on 'em. We don't want them getting away now."

* * *

><p>"Roger that, 'unter," Colleen responded to Hunter's instructions. "You 'gents better hurry it up though, or else we'll have all the fun to ourselves."<p>

"_Hey, no fair! We're a team remember? Save some for us."_

Blitz frowned as Colleen and Hunter have all the fun with their banter. He didn't get it. What was Hunter's secret to always managing to get Colleen's attention while he couldn't even manage to have her remember his name, let alone manage to get a few words in before he's on the receiving end of her foot in a kicking accident?

It didn't make sense to him. He was handsome, he had the muscle, he was perfect. So why can't he get someone as beautiful and attractive as Colleen to notice him?

Blitz shook his head and looked over his shoulder.

"I suppose we're waiting for the others to get their tails over here before we go in," Colleen spoke to the Doberman after communication was cut.

Blitz's ears lowered. "Ummm…Do we really need to stay here? Can't we just run back the way we came and wait for them somewhere else?"

Colleen rolled her eyes. "And why would we do that?"

"B-Because _dhey_ don't want us here."

Colleen looked back at Blitz, more intending on doing something about his cowardly nature than listening to his suggestion. She realized his suggestions are rather well grounded. Two Cano-Mutants found them, their laser blasters at the ready aimed right at them should they try anything funny.

"Oh," Colleen turned to face the Cano-Mutants. "Not exactly the welcome I prefer."

The Cano-Mutants growled as they pointed their weapons at the Rovers. In response the two Rovers dropped their weapons and held their arms up. Nothing they're not used to, but it's a situation they'd prefer to avoid nonetheless.

Inside the room the Groomer and two Cano-Mutants were taking the equipments they needed, storing them in a steel briefcase. The job was going along smoothly. Well, as smoothly as it could. Compared to the other jobs a few days ago this one was going rather slow. They should've been out of here and long gone by now should that little disaster never have happened.

Parvo was still furious with her after she messed that one up.

Now they had to start all over again, collecting the materials they needed to finish what they already started. But they couldn't complain, Parvo couldn't complain. Their plans were all but completed; all they needed was to tie up a few loose ends, restart the project and in a couple of days they would have everything they need to mass-produce and call it a success. The world would soon be theirs. She would see to that.

"Soon," Groomer spoke to herself as she sealed the briefcase shut. "Soon we will have the army we need, and the world will belong to us. General Parvo will be most pleased this time."

As she was about to take her leave the two Cano-Mutants from before came into the room. Bringing along with them at gun point were two Cano-Sapiens both her and Parvo were all too familiar with.

Groomer turned to face the intruders. She made it a point to have her blaster aimed at them while holding the briefcase in her other hand. "Well, look at what the cat dragged in. I figured the Road Rovers would show up eventually."

The Doberman gulped and grinned nervously at the woman. "I would just like to let you know dhat I was dragged here. I didn't even want to come out here dhis late at night."

She rolled her eyes; she's used to hearing the Doberman throwing such excuses to try to get out of these sticky situations.

The Collie though, she merely glared at her. If there was one Rover whom she had to be careful with, it's this one.

"Fancy seeing you too, Groomer," the Collie casually remarked. "Now, what's someone like you being out at this 'our sneaking around a research facility?"

"Nothing I should tell you," she waved her blaster at them. "Unfortunately I'm running a little behind schedule. Breaking into these type of buildings aren't as easy as they used to be. But my mutants here get the job done, even if they are a little slow."

"Not making 'em like they used to, eh?" Colleen sneered, referencing the sloppiness behind this robbery compared to the other ones.

"You could say we're in the middle of fixing the problem."

"Uh-huh," Blitz nodded rapidly. "So if it's okay with you we'll just leave and let you go back to fixing dhat problem of yours."

"As a matter of fact it's not okay with me." Groomer backed away to the second exit of the room, still holding her blaster at them. "If I let you go you'll just come back and ruin our plans again. Besides, my mutants here were rather bored lately, I'm sure they'll enjoy having two little playmates for some fun."

"Hope you won't mind if three more join in on the fun then!"

Groomer turned on her heels with a gasp. Blocking her only exit were the other three Rovers. The Retriever, the Sheepdog and...The Husky. She was surprised to see him.

"It can't be…!"

Exile glared at their enemies. So, these are the Cano-Mutants. Yeah, it's faint, but it's coming back to him the pain these guys can be. Two of them were behind his other two partners, most likely holding them at gun point. There are two other mutants around the leader, a human...

The Husky stared at the human, called the Groomer, and let out a short gasp. Something flashed in his mind, an unpleasant memory he would call it, and it made him recoil away in disgust, grunting a tad as he held a hand up to his head.

Hunter caught the reaction and shot a glance at Exile, lowering his gun a little. "Exile?"

Groomer squinted and raised her blaster at them. Hunter managed to catch that as she pulled the trigger. "Look out!"

Shag yelped in surprise and leaped behind the wall outside of the room as the leader jumped and tackled Exile out of the way of the shot. Both he and Exile landed behind one of the machineries in the room, taking the cover as the shot exploded part of the wall outside. That blaster packs quite a punch!

Seizing this momentary distraction Colleen turned around and assaulted the Cano-Mutant behind her, throwing a high kick across its face with a battle cry. She turned and delivered the same punishment to the second Cano-Mutant while Blitz took the chance to jump behind a toppled desk for cover from the upcoming shoot-out, his high-pitched scream not going unnoticed.

Coughing from the smoke Hunter got up to one knee, scooting over behind the machinery to give Exile room to get up. He glanced over and saw Shag poking his head into the room. He immediately went back to hiding with a yelp as he barely dodged a shot from one of the mutants. Well, at least he's okay.

He looked over to his side to the fallen Husky. "Are you okay, Exile?"

Exile groaned from the sudden tackle and rubbed his head. "What do you think?"

Hunter peaked out but soon took cover again from the incoming fire. He glanced at the Husky as he readied his pistol to return fire. "What happened back there? You just froze."

Exile went and got up to one knee behind the machine and shook his head, prodding his cranium with his finger. "I _nyet_ know what happened, but my head suddenly went very painful on me. I think it may have been memories again."

"Memories?" Hunter echoed. "Huh, I didn't know remembering stuff could give you headaches."

Blitz cowered as he hid behind the toppled table, praying that the material of the table could hold against their lasers. He glanced and saw Colleen taking cover behind one of the machineries of the room, holding a laser gun she most likely jacked from one of the downed Cano-Mutants.

"Okay, so we got dhem trapped in the room. What do we do now?"

Colleen looked at Blitz and shrugged. "Try and not to get shot?"

"Oh yeah, _brilliant_ plan," Blitz snorted in sarcasm.

Groomer scoffed as she took cover. She could always count on the Road Rovers to mess up their plans. Every plan and scheme both she and the General would try they would always be there, ready to put a stop to their plans. _Not this time._

She turned around and pointed her blaster to the wall. With one pull of the trigger the blaster blew a gaping hole into the wall, making herself a third exit point to make her escape.

"Sorry to cut this short, Rovers." She announced as she looked back, calling her Cano-Mutants back. "But we have other matters to attend to."

The Cano-Mutants seized their fire and followed their boss out the hole. Colleen came out from behind her cover post as she witnessed the enemy making their getaway. "They're getting away!"

The Rovers were more than ready to follow their tracks, but Groomer made it a point to shoot out a part of the roof, the debris sealing the hole in the wall. She'd hope some of it would fall on top of them and crush them, but she wouldn't hold her breath on that.

The Rovers backed away as the roof caved in and sealed the roof, covering their faces and coughing as the dust chocked them. Of course the bad guys would blast a hole through a wall to escape in their desperation.

"Agh!" Hunter covered his face with his arm from the flying debris. "I would not have predicted this!"

Exile coughed from the dust before looking over at the debris. It was covering up the hole in the wall, and there was no way they could move it all out of the way in time to follow them. The Husky frowned. Strange, that kind of escape felt rather nostalgic to him...But why?

Blitz looked over at the ruins and shrugged to the others. "Great, there's no way we can follow dhem through dhis."

Hunter shook his head. This was insane. Compared to the weapons they carried all the time their weapons tonight were just destructive. How did that little pistol Groomer was wielding could do this much damage? Just where did they get their hands on that kind of firepower?

Regardless of the setback Hunter wasn't about to give up. "We got no other choice but to go back the way we came. We can catch them as they get to their truck. Let's move, Rovers!"

The Rovers quickly followed their leader out of the room and down the many hallways. They were so close to catching the Groomer in the act; they were not going to let her go that easily, Exile in particular. He felt this strong urge tugging him to go after her. The memory was foggy, but there was something about the Groomer that made him angry.

The Rovers were quick to rush out of the building. They looked at each direction for any sign of Groomer's truck. They all turned to the sound of tires peeling out on the ground and spotted a truck coming right at them. With a scream the team leaped out of the incoming vehicle's way, just barely avoiding from becoming road kill themselves.

"Blimey!" Colleen yelped after jumping out of the way. "Talk about road rage!"

Hunter growled as he hoisted himself up, casting his eyes toward the direction the truck went. They can't let her get away now. "After her, Rovers! We're not about to let the ball roll just yet!"

With a quick nod the Rovers returned to their respective vehicles. Hunter didn't waste time to turn the ignition of the Street Rover and putting the pedal to the metal, chasing after the Groomer's truck.

For a moment he was worried they lost track of the truck, but he soon caught up to them. They were speeding through the forest before speeding out into the highway. Fortunately the highway was empty this time of night, no chance for innocent pedestrians in getting caught in the crossfire. Of course that also means the Groomer has a clean road to get away should anything go wrong.

Exile was leaning forward on his seat, his fists on the dashboard. They needed to go faster or else they'll lose her. He couldn't put his finger on why he was so agitated. Why was he so fired up in catching her? Did she do something to him?

He growled as he slammed his fist on the Street Rover's dashboard. "Faster, Hunter! Go faster!"

Hunter shot a glance at his friend and frowned. "Geez, buddy, since when did you get so hostile? I mean, I know she's our enemy but..."

Exile shook his head. "She must be stopped, Hunter. We cannot let her get away."

"I know, but...Uh-oh."

The rear doors of the truck they were chasing opened up, and inside of it was Groomer manning a large laser cannon. Now this was bad.

"Hang on!" Hunter turned the wheel and swerved as Groomer began firing at them. Now Hunter was really grateful there was nobody else out here on the road along with them.

Up in the sky the Sky Rover was up in flight. It took a moment to get it up in the air, and by the time they did they lost track of both Groomer's truck and of the Street Rover. Blitz was on the lookout with a pair of binoculars while Colleen was piloting the Sky Rover.

Colleen shot a glance at Blitz. "You'd think they would wait for us for air support. Do you see 'em yet out there?"

"Not yet," Blitz responded. He squinted as he looked another direction and his ears perked. He pointed out, "Wait, I see dhem."

Colleen spotted them as well when Blitz's pointed them out. "Ah, there they are. Good job, Fluffy."

Blitz grumbled as he closed his eyes and pinched the skin between his eyebrows. "It's Blitz..."

Shag yelped and cowered in the backseat as Hunter swerved again, dodging yet another laser fire. This was getting them nowhere; he can't keep this up forever. At this rate Groomer's going to get away, or he'll lose control and crash or finally get shot and they'll all turn into hot dogs. Whichever came first.

"Eat fire, Rovers!" Groomer yelled as she continued firing at them.

"She is not kidding," Exile commented as he held on during another swerve. He was getting impatient. With that kind of firepower they won't be able to get near them, let alone chase them for long. They had to think of something to stop the truck.

"Tell me about it," Hunter nodded. He glanced back at Shag and got an idea. "Shag, you got anything that might help us out here?"

Shag managed to stop cowering for a moment to think about it. He reached into his fur coat and began digging around for something. He smiled as he found it and pulled it out. It was a laser pointer. He mumbled the idea to Hunter as he waved the laser pointer around, the idea being to blind Groomer with the laser to get her to stop shooting at them.

Hunter was a bit amused by the idea. "That could work, but it won't help us in stopping the truck, buddy."

Exile shook his head. "I got a better idea. Don't stay behind them."

"Huh?" Hunter looked at Exile as he poked his head out the window. He began asking himself what Exile was thinking when he proceeded to stick his torso out the window. "Whoa, hey! What are you doing?"

"Stopping them. You think a truck like that can ice skate?"

"Um, I really don't think so. Not on those wheels, at least."

Exile squinted as he casted his eyes ahead of the truck. He focused and his eyes began to glow an ice blue color. His ice vision activated and the ice beam streamed from his eyes and down to the road right in front of the truck.

Ice began to form on the road and the truck drove straight into it. Exile kept the beam focused right in front of the truck, coating the road with ice and causing the truck to lose traction on the road. It soon began to lose control and the unstable driving caused Groomer to fall out of the turret and into the back of the truck with a surprised shout.

Hunter kept the Street Rover on the opposite lane, way out of the way of the ice road. Now that was some good thinking on Exile's part. It _was_ a good idea to bring him along after all.

Soon enough the truck came to a stop as it crashed into a lamp post that ran along the edges of the road. The force behind the crash broke the lamp post down, crashing onto the truck and totaling the vehicle.

"Yes!" Exile smirked as he dismissed his ice vision and pumped his fist. "Hahah, take that, you vile woman!"

"Not bad, Exile." Hunter smiled. It wasn't exactly the prettiest red light they could give to Groomer, but it did the job nonetheless. "Now, let's grab her and finally put her behind bars!"

Hunter brought the Street Rover to a complete stop next to the truck. Both he and Exile jumped off of the vehicle and cautiously made their way to the truck. Colleen and Blitz managed to catch up to them in the Sky Rover and managed to witness the final moments of the chase before Exile's ice vision brought it all to a stop.

"Looks like they got 'er." Colleen pointed out as she kept the Sky Rover steady, ready to either make a landing or depart, whichever they needed.

"Finally," Blitz sighed with a yawn. "Now we can go home and sleep."

Exiled and Shag went up to check on the drivers of the truck while Hunter went to the back. The truck may be totaled but the damage didn't look too bad considering a lamp post landed on top of it. For a moment back there Hunter thought Exile was going to either freeze Groomer or the laser cannon at least. He didn't see the plan of icing the road coming, especially considering how fast they were going. If anything went wrong back there it would've been a disaster.

"All right, Groomer," Hunter reached out to open the truck's back doors. "The gig is up!"

What happened next was yet another unexpected twist for the Rover. The moment Hunter slightly opened the back doors ajar he heard the deafening sound of a motor being revved up. His eyes widened as a blinding light came right at him from inside the truck.

Exile and Shag were startled when they heard a startling yell from Hunter. They both dropped what they were doing and rushed to the back of the truck and saw a motorcycle hitting the road, zooming off down the highway with Groomer as its driver.

"_Nyet_!" Exile barked in shock. After all that she still managed to find a way to slip through their fingers.

Groomer looked back at them and smiled as she made her escape, speeding away down the highway. "Sorry Rovers, better luck next time."

"Blimey," Colleen cursed as she witnessed this up on the Sky Rover.

Blitz was just as surprised as she was. "After her, Colleen!"

"Don't need to tell me twice." Narrowing her eyes Colleen pulled at the controls and flew the Sky Rover after the speeding motorcycle.

Back on the truck Exile and Shag ran to the back of the truck to check on Hunter. Fortunately the Retriever was unharmed, only pushed to the ground from the scare. He looked pale as if he just seen a ghost. The scare almost gave him a heart attack.

"Comrade Hunter! Are you all right?"

Hunter gasped as he held his chest, his heart pounding against his chest. "Y-Yeah, I-I-I'm all right."

Exile looked into the back of the truck and slammed his fists into the bumper in anger. "_Bolshevik_, how did she get a motorcycle to even fit in here?"

"Yet another unexpected twist," Hunter panted as Shag helped him up to his feet. The Retriever was still holding his chest with one hand as he shook his head from the disappointment. "Bummer."

Exile held his head in frustration. He couldn't understand it, why was he so angry about this? Why was he, out of the rest of the Rovers, so adamant on catching her? It may be understandable in one way. He was supposedly on the run from them before the Rovers saved him, but that couldn't be the only reason. He thought he may have remembered something deep when he saw her back at the research facility. Perhaps an unpleasant experience with her that was also lost with the rest of his memories.

"Let us go after her," Exile yelled as he turned back to Hunter. "We gotta catch her!"

Shag yelped from the outburst and took cover behind Hunter. To him he always saw Exile as a gentle and happy-go-lucky Rover, never one to snap like that.

"Whoa!" Hunter held his hands up. "Now hang on a minute, what got you so worked up?"

"Nothing! Groomer is our enemy, and she is getting away. We cannot sit here and do nothing!"

"I know that, Exile. Blitz and Colleen are after her. But look at yourself for a moment here. You're acting...Well, different."

"Different?"

"Yeah. Groomer has gotten away from us before, but you never acted this hostile about it for no reason. This isn't like you at all."

"Not like me..." Exile stopped himself there, realizing he's bearing his teeth at his leader, his _friend_.

This isn't like him at all? It couldn't be. Exile may not recall any memories to come up with a reason why he has anger issues toward Groomer, but he assumed something happened that the Rovers _do_ remember at the least. But given Hunter's reaction from his outburst, they don't know any more than he does.

Hunter eyed Exile in concern from his attitude. What was getting his collar all tightened up? He was never this worked up during a mission before. It was then that Hunter had to remind himself about Exile's current condition. He was suffering from amnesia; he barely had any recollection of himself or his friends. And while he was slowly getting them back there were plenty of other important memories he still couldn't recall.

But then that brought another thought to consider. Maybe he's not recalling memories of his life, but perhaps the memories of the seven days he was missing. The time frame before they found him on the run from the Cano-Mutants back at the Sahara. That may be from what he was reacting to, perhaps on a subconscious level. He wondered...

"Exile..." Hunter began as he slowly lowered his hands while Shag poked his head from behind the leader. "Are...Are you remembering something about what happened during the seven days you were missing? Did...Groomer do something to you?"

Exile looked at his shaky hands. He didn't know what to say himself. He had nothing that could help him answer that. He barely remembers his life and himself, how would he know what happened during those seven days?

"I...I don't know," he responded as he slowly sat on the back of the truck. He buried his face in his hands and shook his head. "I know nothing. I cannot even remember most of myself, or my friends. How can I remember those days…?"

"Exile..." Hunter said softly. He could hear Shag whimpering as well. They both really felt for their friend. How lost he must feel without any memories. To him they all must feel like total strangers at a glance. They could only hope his memories would come back soon, just to see the old Exile again with his smile and friendly nature.

The radio from the Street Rover began to go off, grabbing their attention. It was most likely the Sky Rover trying to give them an update. Hunter rushed back to the vehicle and leapt into the driver's seat to answer the call, Shag and Exile not far behind him.

"We read you, Sky Rover. Please tell me you got good news."

"_I'm really sorry, 'unter. But we lost Groomer. We followed her to the forest but we lost track of her in there."_

Hunter winced from the news. He glanced over to Exile to check how he's taking the news. Much to his relief he took it well, just a sigh and a shake of his head, albeit with a small growl.

Hunter sighed and rubbed his eyes. "It's all right. We'll get her next time, and Parvo too. For now come back to the Street Rover. We'll take the Cano-Mutants back with us to turn them back into dogs and return them to their owners."

"_Roger that. We're coming back now."_

Cutting off communications Hunter placed the radio back and leaned back in the seat, sighing loudly from the long night. Well, Groomer got away, nothing new there.

"Well, comrade," Exile sighed as he sat on the passenger side. "What are we getting up to this time?"

Hunter opened his eyes. Now there's the million dollar question. He sat up straight on his seat as he rubbed his chin. "To be honest I don't have the slightest clue myself. What _was_ she even stealing back at the research facility? And what's Parvo scheming this time...?"

As it is obvious these days, nothing's good when it comes to General Parvo. It could be another routine invention of his to help take over the world, or something else entirely. Whatever it is, they can be sure that the next time Parvo makes himself known the Road Rovers will be there to stop him.


	6. Echoes

**Chapter 5: Echoes**

His eyes opened to the sound of music. Exile groaned and mumbled some words under his breath as he turned over in bed, covering his head with the sheets. The music was jarring, its purpose to wake him up. And it was doing its job.

He turned to look over at his nightstand, spotting the culprit who woke him up from his slumber. It was the alarm clock, set to wake him up at seven in the morning. He groaned from the noise as the music moved on to a song, singing to lyrics he couldn't bother to listen to at this hour. _It's too early for this!_

_They, told me that I was  
>No good at all, such a waster.<br>And, suddenly I was left  
>Out of the cool.<br>Stuck with the foo-_

The Husky reached over and turned the alarm off, sparing him of listening to whatever song the radio was playing to wake him up.

He sat up by the edge of the bed and rested his elbows on his knees, letting out a huff as he blinked his tired eyes. They came back home late last night, and judging by the time he only had about four hours of sleep.

He rubbed his tired eyes. He couldn't tell if he just didn't sleep well or if using his heat and ice visions last night took their toll on him. He _was _using his ice vision for a good amount of time during the last stretch of last night's chase, and it probably didn't do him any favors using his heat vision shortly before the fact. Add all that and just waking up from a three-day coma...

Exile traced his fingers through the fur of his head and caught an unpleasant odor. Arching a brow he sniffed his armpit and grimaced, letting out a disgusted huff. When was the last time he took a shower?

He marched himself straight to the bathroom. Once inside he turned the water on in the shower and relaxed his tired body under the warm running water. He sighed as he closed his eyes, feeling the water showering down on him. The soothing shower helped him forget about his troubles and his current dilemma, a welcomed moment of peace.

He looked up at the shower head as the memories from last night came back to him. He still couldn't understand why Groomer's mere presence agitated him, much less how angry he got when she got away. And if Hunter's reaction from his hostility was of any indication he was never like this.

Exile lowered his head with a wince as a drop of water met its mark. He rubbed his eye from the nuisance and blinked shortly after. He stared at the tiles of the wall in front of him as he blinked from the water and saw something. He stared at the tiles for the longest time before reaching out with his hand, wiping the fog off of the tiles. He squinted as he leaned closer to the tiles as he saw someone. It wasn't his reflection he was staring at.

It was the Groomer.

He placed his hands against the wall, now seeming to be glass. The water showering down on him felt more like he was submerged in a thick watery substance and from behind the Groomer he saw what looked like a laboratory. He stared at Groomer, looking at that satisfied smile on her face as she held her hands behind her back. She was watching him, admiring him.

Exile felt like he was trapped in some kind of tank, filled to the top with this thick water-like substance. He closed his hand into a fist, pressing it tight against the glass. He was beginning to panic, his mind racing and demanding to be set free. Just where was he? What are they doing to him?

His ears perked as a series of loud bangs snapped him out of it. He glanced over his shoulder but quickly turned his eyes back to the tiles. The image was gone. He was just staring at his own face in the reflection of the tiles. What the heck was that? Was he...Remembering something? About what happened to him?

"Hey!"

Exile groaned. He poked his head from behind the shower curtain as the door knob rattled followed by a few more bangs against the door. That was the Doberman…Blitz, was it? What does he want now?

"Who's in dhere?" Blitz growled as he banged his fist against the door. "Open up! It's my turn in dhe shower! I'm supposed to be first in line!"

The hard bangs against the door echoed through the halls, and it was enough to get Hunter to investigate what the commotion was about. The Retriever rubbed his eyes as he neared the scene. It was too early to put up with this, especially after last night's mission.

"Blitz...What's going on?" Hunter yawned as he faced the ticked off Doberman. "Isn't it kind of early for this? You're going to wake up the other half of Mission Control."

Blitz turned to Hunter, crossing his arms over his chest before pointing a thumb over his shoulder to the bathroom door. "I thought we agreed dhat I would get first dibs of dhe shower in the morning. But someone is taking up _my_ personal time!"

Exile's ears flattened against his head as the banging against the door continued. This was the last thing he needed. And between that flashback and putting up with the door banging he was starting to get a headache.

"_Quit rushin' me!"_

The shout startled the two Rovers. Blitz in particular, who jumped into Hunter's arms with a yelp. Hunter blinked as he held the Doberman up in his arms before turning his head to the door, recognizing the voice from who shouted. "Exile?"

Inside the bathroom Exile sighed as he rubbed his head. Apparently the Doberman has first dibs for the bathroom in the morning. It was starting to frustrate him how he can't remember such things, and he wondered if this is putting a strain on their patience with him.

Rubbing his forehead Exile leaned against the wall before speaking out, "Uhhh...Sorry comrade, I guess I...Forgot."

Hunter gave Blitz a look as if trying to make him feel bad for getting Exile to say that. It was bad enough that Exile was getting frustrated and depressed lately about his memories being gone; he didn't need this to add to his frustration.

Blitz made a sheepish grin in response. "How was I supposed to know dhat was Exile in there?"

Hunter didn't accept that. "Really, Blitz. You couldn't go one morning without being first?"

"It's been like dhat for a long time. How else do you think I keep myself so pretty and perfect?"

If Hunter's hands were free he would've palmed his face. They were all aware how vain and proud Blitz was about his looks. And when he hogged the bathroom to take care of his looks he would do it for hours on end. They all learned to let him have it first in the morning. They mostly sleep through it anyway given how early he wakes up for this.

"All right all right, I'm sorry. I'll wait," Blitz quickly threw in just to spare himself of another look from the Retriever.

Before Hunter could even come up with a response the bathroom door flew wide open and Exile walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist. He didn't look happy either.

"All yours," he growled as he went straight back to his dorm.

Hunter blinked as he watched him go before moving his eyes back to Blitz, giving him an unapproving look.

"What? I said I was sorry."

Hunter sighed and dropped Blitz from his arms.

* * *

><p>Exile jumped into bed as soon as he was back in his dorm. He stared up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head, feeling rather refreshed after taking his shower, albeit a short one. He wasn't relaxed though. He was thinking back on the image he saw himself in.<p>

He was so close to remembering something, but he couldn't tell if it was a past experience before or during the seven days he was missing. He saw himself in a tank of sorts, looking through a glass wall. And what made his skin crawl was how the Groomer was in the same room with him, staring back at him. He was in a laboratory from what he could remember. And if it wasn't for Blitz's jarring knocks to the door he probably would've remembered a little more to help him.

But then again, he probably didn't want to. What little he saw scared him, and agitated him. It was a disturbing image, probably the reason that contributed to his hatred toward Groomer. He had a sick feeling that he wouldn't have liked what he would've discovered if he remembered more.

He found himself rubbing his head again, just behind his ear. His head was starting to hurt again, although a little less intense than before. Exile began seeing a pattern with his headaches. Every time he started to remember something his headaches would act up. It was irritating him to the point where he wondered when they would stop.

Sighing through his nose he put away his thoughts and looked over to the dresser at the four books from last night. He reached out for the one of top, the one about Alexander Nevsky. He spent the next twenty minutes reading through the book, getting to know the life and achievements of this man and respecting his military career and strategies. He felt absorbed into his world, his accomplishments, and his life.

His reading was only interrupted when his stomach began to complain. He was starting to get hungry. He recalls he hasn't eaten anything ever since he awoke from his three-day coma.

"Hm, might as well eat something…" he muttered to himself.

Sitting up on his bed Exile placed the book back on the dresser and got out of bed. He rotated his neck a bit and went straight to his closet, picked something out of it and left his room.

This time he managed to find the kitchen without any trouble. As soon as he stepped into the kitchen his nose caught a wonderful aroma. It smelled like something delicious was being cooked, and it only reminded him on how hungry he was.

He followed his nose to the counter and saw that Shag was already up and about. He was standing by the stove behind the counter, wearing a chef's hat and an apron. Exile was surprised. He didn't see him as one who can cook at first sight, but whatever he's cooking there sure smells divine.

"Mmmm..." Exile licked his lips from the salivating smell. "That sure is smelling good there, Shag."

Shag smiled from Exile's compliment. He mumbled his gratitude and scooped up a dog bowl from behind the counter, serving him some of what he's been preparing for breakfast. He offered the food to Exile who was more than willing to accept the food.

"Aaahh, thank you, comrade," Exile grinned with gratitude as he took a seat. He looked at the food and gave it a good whiff. If it tastes as good as it smells he'll be in paradise.

He lowered his snout into the dog bowl and immediately got to work. The moment his tongue made contact with the food his taste buds were in paradise. The food was just divine, comparable to a five-star restaurant's; maybe even better.

"Hah, this is delicious, Shag!" Exile took a pause from eating to compliment. "A culinary masterpiece!"

Exhilarating adventures, comfortable living quarters _and_ great food as well, he can certainly say again that he loves being a Road Rover.

As Exile went back to his breakfast Colleen was just walking into the kitchen. She smiled as she saw Shag and held a hand up to him. "Mornin', Shag."

Shag smiled and returned the greeting before going back to his cooking. It was then when Colleen took note of Exile enjoying his breakfast.

After they got home from the mission last night she approached Hunter to fill her in on how Exile took the mission last night. According to him Exile took it pretty well, managed to remember and use his super powers, but he also mentioned the difference in his temperament. Colleen wasn't too surprised on the latter, considering his condition and all. But it did seem odd, hearing how angry he got over Groomer's escape. A venomous type of angry.

She wondered the same thing Hunter did. Groomer must've been involved in what happened during those seven days.

"Mornin', Exile," she greeted as she stepped up next to him.

Exile looked up from his bowl to the Collie. For a mere second she looked like a total stranger to him, but in a snap his mind moved into gears and he quickly recalled her face and name. "Ah, good morning, Colleen."

Colleen smiled at him. It was a little hard for her – not to mention for everyone else – knowing that behind that familiar smile of his lays a very lost and confused Husky. As tempting as it was to try to help him, be it by photos or discussions, she knew it would be best to let his memories return on their own. It wouldn't do much good trying to force him to remember.

She simply followed her own advice on keeping things as normal as possible. "I see you're eating some of Shag's cooking there."

Exile grinned. "Oh yes, it is just perfection!"

Colleen was glad to hear Exile was enjoying the food, but there was one little detail she just couldn't keep to herself about Shag's cooking. They were delicious, she agrees with that. But...

"You know, Shag cooks everything with toilet water."

Exile stopped himself as he was about to dive back into the food. _T-Toilet water?_

He immediately began to feel nauseous from the information and began to wildly spit out what food he still had in his mouth, coughing and gagging from what he swallowed. The food can be the most delicious meal he's ever had, but cooked in toilet water?

Colleen chuckled, amused at the all-too familiar reaction from Exile. She remembers all too well the first time she found that out too. She almost gagged just the same as Exile did.

As she watched Exile calm down she noticed something peculiar about him. His fur looked a little different, a little lighter in color. She didn't notice it until Exile stopped his little episode with the food. She could've sworn that shade of blue was a little darker than that.

"Say, Exile? Did you do somethin' to your fur?" She asked as she ran a finger through the fur on his head. "I think it looks a wee bit different, like the color to it may be fadin'."

Exile groaned as he leaned back in his chair, feeling slightly sick to his stomach at the thought of such a delicious meal being cooked in toilet water. He assumed he must be looking a little pale right now after what just happened. "If it is it's probably from just eating and spitting out dog food cooked in toilet water..."

Colleen chuckled, accepting the answer and going on about her business. Exile looked down to his food in the dog bowl, suddenly losing his appetite. How can something that tastes so good be cooked with something so unpleasant? He doesn't care if he is a dog, that's just downright nasty.

His ears twitched as they caught a metallic thump approaching him, sounding like hops and bumps of metal against the floor. They were accompanied by low grunts, and as they got closer he turned his head to his right and saw a peculiar sight.

A Rottweiler was sniffing his food. He was restrained in a strait jacket, and he was muzzled as well. Not only that, but he's also strapped to what seems to be a hand dolly as well, which only heightened the Husky's curiosity about this dog.

Exile gave him a second of a stare as the Rottweiler sniffed his food before asking, "Can I help you?"

The dog glanced at Exile, but then took a second take before he started growling at him. Part of him told him to growl back at the dog, meet his hostility with some of his own. But the look on the Rottweiler's glaring and growling face made him think twice, making him shrink back in his chair and lowering his ears in fear and submission. He's beginning to see why this dog's restrained. He barely spoke four words to the dog and already he's bearing his teeth at him.

"Your food's over 'ere, Muzzle," Colleen called to the Rottweiler as she held a dog bowl in her hands.

The Rottweiler, named Muzzle, completely forgot about Exile the moment he heard Colleen calling him over. He happily hopped over to her, eager to eat his breakfast.

Exile watched the Rottweiler as he hopped away. "Muzzle?"

Colleen glanced at Exile and nodded. "That's right, his name is Muzzle." She petted the Rottweiler before looking back to Exile. "You remember 'im, right?"

Exile stared at Muzzle. Unlike with the others nothing came back to him from just looking at the Rottweiler. It only served as a reminder about his frustration on his memory loss.

He stared at the restrained dog a little more, hoping something would come back in a moment or two. Instead all he managed was getting Muzzle to look back at him and growl in his general direction.

"Ach!" Exile flinched from the growl. "Not too friendly, is he?"

"Sometimes." Colleen managed to calm Muzzle down, grabbing his attention as she took a spoon and dipped it into the food. "He's just a little 'ungry, that's all."

"Hungry..." Exile would've believed that if Muzzle didn't growl at him from across the room with his food right in front of him. "And he is going to eat that?"

Colleen shrugged as she spoon fed the dog. "Oh 'e likes it, doesn't seem to mind how Shag cooks it though."

Exile was left a little freaked out as he watched Muzzle bite into the spoon and shake his head while keeping his bite on it. Colleen didn't even seem faced that the Rottweiter just tore a piece of the spoon clean off after trashing his head. She just discarded the piece of metal aside and reached into a bowl she had close by, full to the brim with spare spoons.

Sighing through his nose Exile leaned against the table as he watched Muzzle being fed. Okay, so apparently there are _six _Road Rovers, the sixth one being this crazed Rottweiler. He wondered, just how many friends is he forgetting? What else does he not remember that might be important?

"Hm?" Exile turned his head to the table, noticing Shag offering him seconds of his cooking. He tried to keep a straight face as he politely refused it. "Um, no, thank you, Shag. I'm full."

Shag shrugged in return and took the dog bowl back. It was then when Hunter joined them in the room. He tried to go back to sleep, but after that little event earlier with Blitz he couldn't fall back to sleep, so he opted to just get up and get ready for the day.

"Morning, Colleen," he greeted with a smile. He marched over to Muzzle and gave him a friendly pet. "Morning there, Muzzle!"

"Morning, 'untie." Colleen greeted their leader. "Slept well?"

Hunter stretched out his arms and answered, "Like a puppy. That is, until Blitz's racket woke me up."

"Blitz-who?"

"The Doberman. You remember him."

"Oh, right!"

Hunter left it at that. Sometimes he wondered if she really had trouble remembering who Blitz was or if she's just doing it for kicks. He looked over and noticed Exile by the table and walked over to him, wondering if he's still a little miffed about what happened earlier this morning.

"Hey, Exile." Hunter placed a hand on the Husky's shoulder. "You feeling okay?"

Exile looked up from his chair. "Eh? Oh, morning, Hunter. I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Hunter nodded, "Didn't sleep well?"

Exile shrugged, "I guess. Maybe last night was a bit tougher on me than I thought."

"Don't think too much about it, Exile. You'll fall back to the speed of things in no time." He glanced over to Shag to see him on chef duty again. He smiled and looked back at Exile, "Why don't you just take today to relax and eat something?"

Exile had a sudden reminder about Shag's cooking methods. "Erm, no thank you."

"You sure? Shag makes some pretty tasty meals."

"No no, it's okay, Hunter. I already ate. But if it is all right with you, I would just like to take a walk around Mission Control. You know, get to know better our home. See if that might just jump-start my remembering."

Hunter smiled at the idea. "Hey, that sounds like a great idea, Exile. How about I go with you and give you the grand tour?"

Exile shook his head as he stood up from the chair and replied, "No, I can go myself, might be better for me."

"Oh…Well, okay then. I guess I'll catch you later then?"

"Sure," Exile nodded, taking his leave.

Hunter frowned as he watched him go. He hoped a good night's rest would at least help him feel better; maybe even get him to remember something. He sighed as he dropped back into the chair, wishing he could just turn back the time to change things. Just to save Exile and have him back to normal again.

Colleen frowned as she took a glance at the Retriever, seeing how upset he looked. "He'll be all right, 'untie. Exile just needs some time alone to get his mind straight. He's just feeling a little lost, but he'll come around."

Hunter sighed as his eyes lowered to his lap. "Yeah, but it still hurts, you know? Feeling like there's nothing you can really do to help…And all because I-"

"Don't you bloomin' start again," Colleen interrupted the Retriever before he could say it. "What happened that day wasn't your fault, 'unter. You shouldn't keep blaming yourself. Nobody else does. Why, even Exile isn't pointing his finger at you."

No matter how he slices it he knows Colleen is right. There's no point in throwing all the blame on himself. Nothing is going to change the past, what's done is done. But the guilt still remains no matter how many times he tries to shake it off.

* * *

><p>Exile let out a huff as he walked down the halls of Mission Control, more wandering than actually having a destination. He half-lied to the Retriever, he just wanted to be alone for the moment.<p>

Folding his arms over his chest he began thinking back to the images that came back to him during his shower. Groomer was there, and it looked like he was her prisoner, stuck in a tank of some sorts. That alone tells him this might be where he was during those seven days. He was Groomer's prisoner.

But that brings another old question. Why did he see himself in such a tank? What was she doing to him? The more he thought about it the angrier he got. The thought that he was her prisoner made him sick.

Not only that, but he couldn't remember a thing about the Rottweiler, Muzzle. Up until now he managed to remember bits and pieces of everyone he'd at least look at. But one stare at Muzzle and he came up empty. Is he even recovering, or is he getting worse?

He slammed his fist into the wall, growling to himself. Groomer practically ruined his life, his state of mind, his psyche. This only added fuel to the fire, and now Exile wanted to do more than just capture her. He wanted to _kill_ her.

Continuing down the hall Exile began looking at the walls. Something began to feel different as he travelled down the halls, almost as if he was walking down a completely different place from before. The air around him felt heavy; there was a sinister feeling around him. And there was something in the air, a stuffy atmosphere. The different surroundings and feelings made him forget the exact reason why he was out here in the first place.

He felt...Empty.

Exile approached to a door at the end of the hall. It automatically slid open as he approached and stepped through it. He found himself in a big room, machines and computers strewn about in the laboratory. Catwalks webbed above him, making up a second level full of equipment and electronics.

There were also, of all things, Cano-Mutants in the room, standing guard or just in the room following their route on patrol. Surprisingly Exile didn't react to this; he simply stepped into the room with a blank face as if he belonged there.

As he stepped into the middle of the room he saw two humans at the top of a flight of stairs. One he recognized as the Groomer. The other human was male, one whom he doesn't know by name. But by look there's something familiar about him.

He had cybernetic parts to his body. He looked evil, with a satisfied smile on his face. Both he and Groomer were facing Exile as he stood in the middle of the room, the two of them smiling and admiring the Husky.

"It's perfect," the man grinned. "It's working as well as we expected."

"Yes, General. With this Phase 2 is now complete. Everything is going smoothly and according to plan." The Groomer smiled as she eyed the Husky. "Just look at him, he's beautiful."

"He'll make a perfect soldier," the man laughed.

Exile merely stood there with a blank expression on his face. He lowered his eyes to the floor. The canine had no idea of the meaning behind their words, or what their plans could be. All he knew was that he was a part of it, somehow or in some way. All he had to do was follow their orders. It was all he knew to do.

"_Exile."_

The Russian canine looked back up with a gasp. The man was approaching him, that devilish smile on his face frightening the dog. Exile eyed him as he got closer and closer, unsure as to what he might be up to.

"Exile," the man spoke to him.

Exile closed his eyes as he shook his head, covering his ears to drown out the man's voice. It shook him to the very core hearing the man speak. The fact that he's working for him, in his presence, it's driving him crazy. This isn't him, he shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be in allegiance with him.

"_Exile."_

He next felt a hand on his shoulder. Exile let out a sharp gasp as he opened his eye. The flashback he was experiencing was now gone and he was standing in a different room altogether, back in Road Rovers Mission Control.

Exile then noticed the Master standing in front of him, his hand on his shoulder. "Exile, are you all right?"

The Husky stood there with fear in his eyes. He gulped to swallow the lump in his throat as he tried to find his voice. He finally managed to speak, "Y-Yes, I'm all right..."

The Master saw the look of fear on the canine's face. "Are you sure? Is everything all right?"

Exile nodded, "_D-Dah_, I was just talking a walk and...What is this place?"

The room was a laboratory, with a quite contrast look compared to the one he saw in his flashback. A huge monitor took up one of the walls, below it a control console. The monitor displayed information, but of what Exile couldn't tell from here.

"This is my laboratory," the Master responded. "This is where I monitor for any trouble out in the world and research anything that might be of great importance. I usually don't get a lot of visitors here, so I was a little surprised to see you come in."

Exile stepped closer to the monitor. Some of the information displayed onscreen were photos of parts from a machine. Exile wondered and looked back at the Master and asked, "Are these the parts that were being stolen last night?"

"Yes," the Master nodded. "These are parts commonly used to build machines used to power heavy machinery, like a battery of sorts."

"A battery?" Exile tilted his head. "Why would Groomer want a battery for?"

"Parvo must be in need of one to power some new weapon of his," the Master responded. He moved to the console under the monitor and typed some inputs. The information being displayed changed to the rest of the parts from last night's robbery.

"It worries me though," the Master added with a shake of his head. "These power sources are used to energize powerful machines. And in the hands of someone like Parvo this could only lead to disaster, especially knowing this now after the theft of the Cellular Stabilizer."

"Cellular Stabilizer?" Exile echoed.

The Master then remembered. Exile was absent when he briefed them about the theft of this device. Now that Exile is back and after his insistence on being reinstated back on the field as a Rover he figured it would be wise to brief him back in on what the others know.

With this in mind he brought up the files from the theft four days ago. "Yes. Four days ago, the day before we brought you back home, Parvo's Cano-Mutants broke into a high-security facility and stole a liquid-based device, called the Cellular Stabilizer."

Exile looked into the monitor as the files over the theft was brought up. One of them was a photo of the device in question, a capsule with a neon green liquid inside. Exile looked over the photos of the Cellular Stabilizer and of the parts from last night's theft, piecing together the information in his mind to get familiar with what the others might know.

Something stirred in Exile's mind before he could even ask what the Cellular Stabilizer could be used for. There was something about the parts from last night's theft that got his attention, and between that and the Cellular Stabilizer something in his mind was trying to let itself known to the Husky.

The Master glanced back at Exile, and then turned to face him as he saw his startled expression. "Exile? Is something wrong?"

Exile took a step back as he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. He came up with something to get out of there. He needed to confirm something. "Ugh_, _I'm just not feeling too well, Master. Can I be, how you say, excused? I think I may need to lie down."

The Master arched a brow, but nodded nonetheless. "All right. I understand you still might not be feeling well from your injuries. You should go and take some rest."

Exile agreed and took his leave. He took it slow as he tried to process everything he saw in his mind, trying to understand the feelings stirring within him. There was fear, anxiety, confusion, and anger. He was beginning to get a better idea what these memory flashes are trying to tell him. And the more he began to understand them the more scared and angrier he got.

There was only one possibility and conclusion he could come up with. But to admit to it would shame him.

He went straight to his room and closed the door behind him. He leaned back against it, panting and his eyes wide with anxiety. He looked to his dresser and stood there for the longest time before finally making his move. He opened one of the dresser's drawers and froze, his eyes staring at the costume he was found wearing back in the Sahara. The clothes he was wearing while under their control.

Exile reached for it and held the clothes in his hands. Narrowing his eyes in disgust he reached into the clothes and pulled out the device he hid in the clothing. He looked at the container from every angle, ran his fingers over the shell and examined the parts it was made out of.

He gritted his teeth and spoke in a low voice, "Mother of Russia...This is what they are building..."

Images flashed through his mind.

He fought two Cano-Mutants off of him before turning to a door nearby. After he went through it he ran to a console nearby and slammed his fist into the glass blocking an indentation. He jammed his hand into it and was electrocuted in his attempt to pull the device out. Gritting his teeth he fought through the pain and pulled his hand out, yanking out a round metal container from the machine.

The machinery the container was plugged into slowly came to a complete shutdown, its hum fading into silence. Panting from the shock he turned and shot his ice beam into three Cano-Mutants that entered the room, encasing them in a block of ice from neck to toe.

The alarm was sounding and he made every effort to stay one step ahead of his pursuers. He turned to the door closing behind him and made sure to keep it sealed by welding it shut with his heat beam. He then rushed to a console in front of him, slammed a key code into the console and the door to his freedom was opened.

Exile shook and held his head. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. What he was remembering. He looked at himself in the mirror, staring at his own eyes. They narrowed in anger, and he had to put every effort he could to keep himself from snarling.

Another image flashed through his head.

He saw himself barging through doors and breaking through safes. He would clear the way through security and barricades with the greatest of ease, and they would easily come out on top with the prize.

One in particular, was the recovery of a device they sought after; a capsule with a neon green liquid inside. He took this capsule and handed it over to a human he's growing to despise.

"They used me..." Exile rasped in a low voice that just didn't sound like his own. "I...I gave them the...What else have I done for them..."

He looked at the nuclear battery in his hand, gripped it tight and in rage he turned and threw the device straight across the room. It punched a hole through the wall, and it was anybody's guess if the device even survived the collision.

Exile panted in rage as he slowly dropped to his knees, growling in anger with his claws flexed out and exposed. He slowly fell back on his tail to sit before looking into his hands, seeing them shaking.

He buried his face into his hands and never left his room for the rest of the day. His claws, exposed and digging into his cranium, were colored white rather than the usual black. A detail Exile failed to notice during his fit.


	7. Inconsistencies

**Chapter 6: Inconsistencies**

It was late in the afternoon when the Rovers were getting ready to go back home to their owners. It's been almost two weeks now since the Rovers have been away from home, refusing to return until they find Exile and bring him back home, ready to move out at the drop of a hat. But now that Exile was back, and without any new word on the Groomer's whereabouts or any clues on where she'll strike next, the Master told them to return to their homes for a much needed break from their Rover duties to unwind and have fun with their owners.

Plus, it would do Exile some good to return home to Russia.

Hunter grinned as he stretched out his arms. "Aaah, can't wait to go back home. It's been some past few weeks, huh?"

"Too long if you ask me," Colleen responded. Everyone had gathered in the living room, all ready to head out together to the Transdogmifiers to go back home.

Blitz was more than excited to go back to the simple life of a regular ol' dog. "Yah, but we're finally going home now. I can finally catch up on some shuteye," he yawned to make a point, then added, "So, can we go now?"

Hunter was about to give the okay before he noticed they were one head short. "Wait a minute. Isn't Exile coming along? Where is he?"

Colleen shrugged, "I haven't seen 'im since this morning."

Hunter glanced at Blitz and Shags, wondering if they have seen the Husky. Shag shook his head with a mumble while Blitz just shrugged his shoulder.

"He might be in his room. Poor guy, probably still exhausted from last night. I'll go and get him," Hunter suggested. "It'll do him a lot of good to see his owner again."

Blitz rolled his eyes, already getting impatient as all he wants to do now is to go home. "Hurry back now; I really want to go home already."

"A little impatient, eh Fluffy?" Colleen teased as she folded her arms over her chest.

"You would be too if you've spent weeks working nonstop away from home," Blitz mumbled in his defense.

Hunter headed down the halls toward the dorms, trying to keep his mind from overdriving back to worry. He felt like a worried-sick mother, always wondering how Exile was feeling and if he's doing all right. He would really hope his memories would come back soon; it would them all a world of good.

Stopping in front of Exile's door he took a deep breath, trying to relax before knocking on the door.

"Exile? You in there?" He listened for an answer, but heard none. He turned the knob and slightly opened the door, peaking inside. "Come on, rise and shine. We're going back home to our owners for the day, so…"

The room was empty. Strange, Hunter would've bet Exile was here. He knew Exile said he was going on a walk around Mission Control, but he figured he'd be back in his room afterwards.

"Huh, he's not here," Hunter said as he stood by the doorway. He took one more look in the room before leaving, closing the door behind him. "He's probably still out on his walk."

He failed to notice the hole in the wall, hidden behind the door as it was opened.

* * *

><p>Exile found himself right outside of Road Rovers Mission Control. The world outside of the base was vastly different. He didn't know the grounds outside was this big jungle, and was that a waterfall he's hearing in the distance?<p>

His eyes darted to every direction, admiring the greenery of the trees and the sound of wildlife. He looked up at the cavern's roof way up there in the sky, and he wondered how all of this got down here.

He followed the road further down. He needed to get away from Mission Control for a while. Alone in his room or anywhere in the base only brought him to think back on those memories he recovered. Of all things he could remember, it had to be the bad ones. The monotonous halls and being in his room alone only made him reflect on them. He needed a change of scenery.

"Mother of Russia," Exile found himself saying, amazed as he found himself at the beach, just at the outskirts of the jungle. It was a terrific view; the sparkling blue water, the sound of the waves, the feeling of the sand under his feet, that gorgeous sun set. He stepped forward near the shore and looked out toward the ocean.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the cool breeze as it brushed through his fur. This was perfect, the new scenery he was looking for. Out here everything was peaceful, where he can just relax and admire the beautiful scenery.

His peace of mind didn't last long though. He reached into his pocket and out he pulled the nuclear battery he recovered from within the wall. He felt awful – Ashamed even – knowing that he actually helped the Groomer with the theft of the Cellular Stabilizer. Did he also steal this nuclear battery from another facility? And if so, what other thefts did he commit?

Another thought bothered him; the thought about his comrades. What would they say if they knew he helped the enemy steal a dangerous piece of equipment? What would they think about him after realizing it? The thought wouldn't bother him so much if he truly remembered what they were like.

He shook his head, trying to be reasonable. So far they've been nothing but nice and friendly to him. Deep inside he knows he can trust them with anything and would never have to doubt their trust. However, despite the deep feelings of trust toward them he still couldn't shake off the horrifying thought.

Going back to his latest memories, it's funny how lately all he's remembering are memories related to his enemies, not his friends. He couldn't even recall anything about Muzzle or anything else new about the others. Were those memories gone forever? Now there's a terrifying thought.

Running his finger over a dented part of the battery he wondered if it even works anymore. He failed to remember that such a device should be handled with care when he chucked it across the room and into the wall; he could've risked a radioactive leak or contamination, but so far though it looked to be in one piece other than a bit of a dent to the metallic ring around it.

He was, for a lack of a better word, lucky; and stupid for throwing a nuclear reactor battery in the first place.

Exile set his eyes back to the ocean view, fascinated by the sight. He must rarely get a sight of beaches if it fascinates him so much. He then wondered if his home had a similar view...Wherever his home actually is.

"Now I know I'm lost," he said with a sarcastic chuckle, "I cannot even remember anything about my own home."

As depressing as the thought was Exile managed to push it out of his mind, intending on at least enjoy the view.

He must've stared out listening to the soothing waves for at least twenty minutes before Exile decided it was time to head back. He placed the battery back into his pocket and went straight back to Mission Control.

Along the way he thought back on his friends, wondering what to do about this weight on his shoulders, the shame and guilt about the thefts he committed. A part of him said he should talk to them about it, and set things right somehow. He figured he wouldn't get any peace of mind until he got this burden off his chest.

Arriving back to Mission Control Exile waited for the main doors to open, and when he stepped foot inside into the main room he saw the rest of the Rovers in the room, as if they were just waiting for him to come back.

"There you are," Colleen said, "we've been lookin' all over for you!"

"Me?" Exile scratched his head. "Really?"

"Yah," Blitz replied, "we were supposed to be going home today?"

"...Home?"

"That's right," Hunter added as he stood up next to the Husky, placing a hand to his shoulder. "I mean, we could all use some time off with our owners back home, right? It might even do you some good."

Exile wanted to stop everything to talk to them, but he couldn't bring himself to. He wanted to talk, but he was too scared to even spill it out. And given how that they all want to go home – and encouraging him to do the same for his health – he couldn't bring himself to keep them away from their loved ones any further.

"So," Hunter began with a smile, "you ready to go?"

Exile scratched his head, taking a moment before responding with a simple "_dah_."

They all went straight to a room south in Mission Control. The room had five familiar-looking machines aligned to the far wall, and next to them on the other side of the room were five vehicles, each based in an indentation in the floor. They look like the methods for them to get here from their homes, and vice versa.

Exile followed the team to the machines and looked at them. From the back of his mind a name came forward: "the Transdogmafiers."

"Very good, Exile," Colleen said, "so you _do_ remember these."

"Kind of." Exile didn't sound so sure if he does remember. "So we go in and that is it?"

"Yup," Hunter replied. "I _love_ this machine! You go in as a Rover, you come out as a regular dog. It's quite a trip!"

Exile stared at the Transdogmafier in front of him. To say that he was nervous was nothing short of the truth. He could only come up with a name, but nothing more. And for a reason he couldn't explain the machines rather scared him; he didn't want to get near it.

Hunter noted the Husky giving the machine a reluctant look. He shouldn't be surprised, every first-timer they've brought here has been nervous about the machine. Of course, Exile isn't a first-timer, but given his...Oy, they're like a broken record reminding themselves over and over.

"It's perfectly safe," Hunter tried to reassure his friend. "Here, I'll show you. Blitz?"

Blitz was scrapping the inside of his ear with his pinky when he was addressed. He stopped and blinked as he noticed everyone looking at him. "Hm? Oh all right, sheesh."

Blitz stepped inside one of the Transdogmafiers. He turned to face the Rovers as the machine started up. First a glass door slid down, and then the inside of the capsule was filled with smoke and lights. When the process was done the glass door slid up and Blitz stepped out. He was now a regular feral Doberman, unlike the hulking Cano-Sapien he was before.

"There, ya' see?" Colleen said as she reached down and petted Blitz, a rare moment of attention from her to him.

_Wow, Exile should get head damage more often_, Blitz thought with a smile as Colleen petted him, his little tail wagging.

Exile looked down at the new Blitz, amazed by the transformation. To be honest he wasn't sure what he was expecting to happen, but there was something in the back of his mind that held him back from the machine. They just step into the machine and transform back into regular dogs, just like Hunter said. He looked back at the Transdogmafier and wondered what he was so afraid of in the first place.

"Your turn, buddy." Hunter patted the Husky's back.

Exile took a deep breath. "All right, here goes nothing."

Exile slowly stepped into the Transdogmafier and turned around, facing his comrades as they stayed and watch to give him moral support. He then looked around the insides of the machine, wondering if he needs to push a start button or something. It surprised him a little as the glass door slid down by itself, sealing him inside.

He blinked and looked up as he heard a hissing sound coming from the machine. A blast of air came from under him as the capsule seems to be pressurizing the inside. Soon enough the smoke came next, and bright lights surrounded him. Exile closed his eyes as the process began.

The Rovers watched as the Transdogmafier began to do its work. Hunter nodded to the others and pointed with his thumb. "We're next, Shag. Let's go in."

Shag mumbled affirmatively and the two made their moves to the other Transdogmafiers. Colleen was about to do the same when Exile's Transdogmafier began to come to a stop. As the glass door began to slide up Colleen decided to wait for Exile to come out.

What she saw next caused her to gasp – And Blitz to yelp – in surprise. "Uh, fellas?"

Hunter and Shag froze just before they could set one foot into their respective Transdogmafiers. They turned to Colleen as she motioned for them to come over. Hunter was a little puzzled.

"What's up?" Hunter asked as both he and Shag stepped to Colleen.

She pointed to the Transdogmafier. There was a hand grasping the edge of the Transdogmafier as someone from the inside was using it for support. That's strange, that hand was supposed to be a paw now.

As the smoke cleared away they saw him. Exile was still a Cano-Sapien, holding onto the edge of the machine as he felt woozy. He leaned against his arm as he took one step out, feeling dizzy and sick to his stomach. He didn't know what to expect from the process, but if going through it always made his world spin then he failed to see what Hunter saw in this.

Exile groaned as he looked at the Rovers. "Well, comrades? Am I a regular dog now?"

"It...Didn't work...?" Colleen gasped.

The Rovers were shocked. This would be the first time the Transdogmafier has ever failed to, well, transdogmify anyone. They've used it thousands of times and it has never broken on them. Maybe that Transdogmafier was broken? Hunter glanced down at Blitz and discarded the idea. It was the same one Blitz used a second ago; it should be working just fine.

"Oh what now," Hunter said as the alarms of Mission Control went off. Of all times for evil to decide to show up and cause trouble. "I guess this will have to wait. Let's go, Rovers!"

_/Hey, what about-/_ Blitz growled as the whole team rushed over to the briefing room. Snarling to himself he jumped back into one of the Transdogmafiers and reverted back to his Cano-Sapien form, mumbling about how nobody waits for him as he rushes to catch up to the team.

* * *

><p>"Parvo is at it again, Rovers," The Master briefed them in the briefing room. He turned his attention to the monitors as it displayed the information to the team. "Just now a silent alarm was triggered in this research facility. The Groomer and Cano-Mutants were spotted via satellite not too long ago."<p>

"Another research facility?" Hunter rolled his eyes with a shrug of his shoulders, having it up to here with the villains repeatedly robbing research facilities these days. "Whatever happened to stealing banks and military equipment?"

The Master continued with the briefing. "I believe their attempts are to collect additional pieces to go along with the other ones they stole from last night's robbery. What their goals are still eludes me, but I believe it goes without mentioning that their plans must be foiled."

Exile bit the tip of his thumb as he listened to the briefing. He has a good idea on what they're building, but for what he still doesn't know. The idea of even letting them know the device they're trying to build was immediately lost at the thought of going up against the Groomer so soon. He narrowed his eyes and tried his best not to let out a snarl. He wasn't going to let her get away again.

Hunter nodded, agreeing with the Master. "You can count on us, Master. We'll put a stop to Parvo's evil plans and recover the stolen devices."

Hunter turned to the team and nodded. "Let's hit the road, Rovers!"

With an affirmative howl the team scrambled toward the hangar. This time they took the Jet Rover due to the distance between Mission Control and the research facility.

Along the way Hunter ran some things through his mind again, most notably the problem with the Transdogmafier. What was up with that? That was the first time he has ever seen the machine just plain fail at turning one of them into a regular dog. And with the urgency of the current assignment he failed to mention it to the Master before they left. He would make a mental note on letting him know when they get back.

He glanced back at Exile for a mere second and wondered again that same old question. He has no doubt that whatever Exile went through was the cause of the Transdogmafier failing on him. Again he asks himself: what did they do to him? The question's been haunting him, and it has no doubt been haunting Exile as well. Hunter gripped the controls of the Jet Rover and promised both to him and Exile. He would catch them and get to the bottom of this.

"How you feelin', Exile?" Colleen asked as she noticed Exile just wouldn't stop from looking out the cockpit window. She worried if maybe he was feeling a little airsick.

"I'm fine," Exile bluntly answered with a huff. He turned his head to Colleen with a tired but goofy smile, trying not to look depressed or bothered from the recent events. "I'm just enjoying the pretty sights from flying so high up in the air. You think maybe I could fly this thing back home?"

Hunter smiled. Now that sounds like the Exile they know and love.

"I don't know," Hunter answered, "we'll think about it."

Out of the corner of his eyes he could've sworn he saw Blitz frown. He probably didn't like the idea of letting an amnesiac dog taking controls of the Jet Rover. Exile can be a pretty good pilot, but he's under no condition to take the controls of the flight craft just yet. At least that's what Blitz thinks and hopes the others are thinking the same thing.

"Now hang tight, everyone," Hunter said as he flipped a few switches. "We got a groomer to catch."

* * *

><p>Inside of the facility a group of Cano-Mutants were securing the halls and rooms. They growled and snarled at each other as they held their weapons at the ready, eager to pull the trigger at anything that moves.<p>

The Groomer had a satisfying smile on her face as she watched her Cano-Mutants raiding and recovering the necessary items they were looking for. The operation was almost done, and soon they would be out of this facility and back to base.

"Excellent," she commented as the Cano-Mutants brought to her the last piece they were looking for. She took it away from the Cano-Mutant and examined the expensive-looking material.

This was the last item on the list. Now they can return to base, put the finishing touches to the machine and everything can begin. World domination couldn't be any closer within their grasps.

She put the material away with the rest of the ones collected in the facility in a suitcase before occupying her other hand with her blaster, just in case any unwanted guests were to arrive, namely the Road Rovers.

Just when she finished her communicator went off. She reached for it and answered it, already knowing who it was.

"Yes, General?"

"_Groomer, what is taking you so long?"_ A male voice talked from the communicator, and he didn't sound pleased.

"Relax, General," Groomer assured her boss as she stood up, holding the briefcase in her other hand. "We have just secured the last of the pieces."

"_Good. Perfect."_ The male voice cackled. _"That makes all of the pieces that make up for your screw-up."_

Groomer frowned. She wished the General wouldn't remind her about that incident, much less rubbing it in. She knows she messed up, and she's trying her best to make up for her mistake. For the General she would do anything.

"_Now, gather all your things and return back to base,"_ The General ordered, _"And if the Road Rovers show up..."_

"Yes, General, I know."

"_And you better succeed this time, Groomer. Don't let it get away again!"_

The General cuts off communications with that warning. Groomer puts away the device and sighed to herself, gripping the briefcase tight in her grip. She asked herself how that dog slipped away from them even after all the precautions they took. Did they miscalculate or underestimated something in the equation?

She shook her head. One thing's for sure, it won't happen again. She promised herself and to the General.

"Time to go home, my mutants," she said as she turned to her guards.

The Cano-Mutants all obeyed and left the room single-file. There were at least four of them with her and about three guarding the halls. They lost quite a few from the Road Rover's meddling in last night's robbery, and the Groomer found herself a little hard-pressed finding capable Cano-Mutants to take along with her on missions such as these without leaving the base a little short-handed.

Things would've been different if…Well, it's not a good idea dwelling in the past.

The next room they came into had a sky-light. It was a big room with tables and chairs, some vending machines aligned the far wall and three ways to get in an out of the room. It was the facility's cafeteria. A couple of Cano-Mutants helped themselves to the contents in this room an hour ago or so. One of the vending machines was broken into, its contents spilled out. Groomer had to scold them once or twice to get them moving with the assignment.

As they crossed the room the Groomer activated her headset and told to the other Cano-Mutants in the building, "all Cano-Mutants return to the truck. We're going home."

Groomer and her followers were just about halfway through the room the cafeteria's sky-light suddenly shattered. Groomer yelped from the surprise and covered her head as she backed away from the raining glass shards. She then heard an all too familiar voice call her out.

"You're not going anywhere!"

She opened her eyes and gasped in surprise to see them blocking her path. Those meddling Road Rovers. She first saw the Retriever getting up to his feet from a crouched positioned, then watched as the Collie landed next to him, followed by the Husky and the Doberman, the latter only managing to land on his tail with a yelp, failing to nail the landing.

Hunter looked up at the sky-light they just busted through after getting up to his feet. He couldn't help but giggle with excitement, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

"That was _awesome! _I always wanted to make an entrance like that," he exclaimed with a grin on his face.

"Meddling Road Rovers," the Groomer cursed as she backed away.

"We got you this time, Groomer," Colleen declared as she stood next to Hunter, her hands on her hips. "So just do us all a favor and come along quietly."

"_Dah_, before this gets ugly," snarled Exile as he cracked his knuckles.

Groomer glared daggers at them as she backed away. If anything she wasn't about to give up after coming this far. She had the last pieces they needed to continue with their plans. She held the suitcase closer to her. She made up her mind, and she had to make her move.

"Get them!" She commanded to her mutants.

The Cano-Mutants held their blasters up and opened fire. The Rovers jumped out of the way and took cover behind the tables. And so the battle began.

Hunter used his Super Speed to run zigzags at his enemies, throwing off their aim and dodging their fire. One second he's on their left, the next he's on their right. He ran up to one of them and punched it across the face. He managed to knock its blaster away with the punch, but did little for anything else.

The Cano-Mutant leaped at Hunter, who just stood there and took the pounce. Big surprise for the Cano-Mutant when it realized it jumped Hunter's after-image, the result from running away so fast from his spot. The mutant noticed a tennis ball in its hands, and it had little time to react when it went off and blew it away.

Hunter was already waiting for it when the Cano-Mutant struck the wall next to him. He chuckled and pointed his thumb to the fainted mutant and commented to the readers, "They always fall to the basics."

After his joke Hunter sped off through the room to dodge any incoming fire and giving support to his team.

One Cano-Mutant had its sights on the speedy Retriever, trying to make its shots land on the target. The mutant was too distracted to notice one of the Rovers coming at it before it was struck hard across the face. The shock of the blow made the mutant yelp, dropping its gun from the blow.

Shaking its head from the daze the Cano-Mutant turned just in time to see the Rover gripping his two hands together over his head and sending them down on its head, completely flooring the mutant with devastating force.

Exile shook his hands a bit from the sting of the blow. He looked down at the floored mutant and noticed it was still conscious, and it could spring up at any moment and get its revenge. Exile was ready to finish the mutant off, but before he could make a move a shot went by his head, just missing him by inches.

Exile turned and faced the armed Cano-Mutant. The mutant's blaster was a little more powerful than the standard ones the others had, and being struck by it would mean excruciating pain if not death. There was something about them that made Exile tilt his head.

Spotting the mutant correcting its aim Exile narrowed his eyes and growled. His eyes glowed red and shot his heat vision into the gun, surprising the mutant into dropping it as the heat beam caused the gun to explode.

Exile smirked at his handiwork. _Now what_, he mentally taunted the unarmed Cano-Mutant. He was more than willing to deliver a few good punches into the mutant's body.

Exile took one step forward when he was suddenly held back, feeling someone from behind grabbing him in a full nelson. "Ach! What in the heck?"

The Cano-Mutant that he previously attacked had already recovered. Exile struggled in its hold as he tried to break free, but despite the blows he delivered the mutant wasn't letting go. Exile cursed under his breath as he spotted the other mutant running toward him to deliver the hurt.

Exile wasn't going to have any of that. He narrowed his eyes and used his ice vision, ensnaring the mutant in a block of ice and trapping it. That's one down, now to do something about the mutant that's at the moment invading his personal space.

Exile gritted his teeth as the Cano-Mutant began forcing his head down in the full nelson, applying pressure to the back of his neck. As soon as Exile tried to struggle he heard a loud chomp and the Cano-Mutant released him with a pained howl. The Cano-Mutant jumped into the air as high as it could, holding its tail from the excruciating agony.

Blitz gave a devilish grin as he saw how high the Cano-Mutant leapt. "Look at dhat little girly mutant jump. Nobody bites tooshies like Blitz!"

Blitz noticed Exile giving him a look and waited for the much anticipated catchphrase. Blitz knew it always comes whenever he was within ear shot of the Husky when he talks about the biting of the tooshies.

"…"

"…Dhis is usually dhe part where you call me a weird boy."

Exile instead shook his head and walked away. "Not now, comrade."

Blitz blinked and stood in shock. Now that was something he wasn't expecting: Exile waving off a chance to call Blitz a weird boy. He grew so used to it that it just felt _wrong_ that he got away with it.

Blitz quickly remedied the problem.

"Don't be a weird boy, Blitz," Blitz said as he pretended to be Exile, standing in the spot where Exile was not two seconds ago and wagging a finger to his previous spot. Blitz then stepped back to where he was previously standing and reacted to the saying.

Feeling much better now that the exchange has gone full circle Blitz sighed in satisfaction and said, "Much better."

The fourth and last Cano-Mutant had its paws full with Colleen. The mutant tried shooting at her but she was too fast to even get an accurate shot at her. She skillfully jumped and took cover behind the tables, making every single shot miss. The mutant was getting frustrated.

Suddenly someone got in the way, making the mutant cease fire for a moment.

Hunter held his hands behind him, standing in the way of the Cano-Mutant's crossfire. He looked up at the mutant with a disapproving look, shaking his head and clicking his tongue disapprovingly.

"Didn't anybody tell you not to aim your gun at a lady?" Hunter said as he wagged an accusing finger.

The Cano-Mutant growled and aimed its gun to Hunter's head, but the Rover remained rooted in his spot, never flinching of the gun barrel being aimed down at his skull. Hunter just arched a brow and shook his head again. "Not even a good idea, big guy."

With a battle cry Colleen leaped over Hunter with a flying kick. The Cano-Mutant didn't even have time to react before her foot collided against its face. She threw a chop to the mutant's neck, twice, then followed with a roundhouse kick across the mutant's face. All delivered with battle cries and nonsensical attack names.

Hunter winced at every strike, only waiting until Colleen was done to speak. "Nice one, Colleen. You're impressive."

Colleen smiled as she turned to Hunter. "Thank you, 'untie. But I could've taken care of business myself."

Hunter shrugged his shoulders. "I know, but I had to get my kicks in somewhere."

"Right."

Hunter looked over Colleen's shoulder and blinked in surprise. The Cano-Mutant Colleen just gave a beating to was starting to get back up. And that's not all of it. The other three Cano-Mutants were starting to recover from their beatings and regroup.

The Road Rovers took note and backed away, regrouping themselves as they faced their opposition. Just when they thought they were going for round two the doors behind the Cano-Mutants flew open, and much to their shock three more Cano-Mutants came in wielding blasters. Needless to say, they were wildly outnumbered four to eight.

"Huh, I would not have predicted this," Hunter said his well-known catchphrase upon the entry of three new battlers.

"If this keeps up Groomer is goin' to get away again," Colleen said as she got into a karate stance.

"Then it's time to bring out the big guns." Hunter looked up at the sky-light and whistled the signal.

From up above an additional Road Rover made his entrance with a mumble in tune to the word 'Geronimo.' Shag landed on his tail, but he didn't even seem to be bothered by the rough landing. He stood up and held out his arms, catching something that fell through the sky-light right after him. To the Cano-Mutants it looked like some kind of dolly. But little do they know the true horror it contains.

Taking a closer look the Cano-Mutants noticed there was a dog strapped to the dolly, a Rottweiler. It was muzzled, but that didn't stop it from glaring and growling at them.

"Ready, everyone?" Hunter stood his ground as the rest of the Rovers went to Shag. He glanced back at them before throwing his arm forward and point at the Cano-Mutants.

"Let's Muzzle 'em!"

Colleen released Muzzle's restraints and like a rabid animal the Rottweiler leapt out from the dolly and soared through the air with a frightening snarl, his tongue trailing out the side of his mouth. The Cano-Mutants didn't know what was coming to them until they received the full extent of the blow. The carnage was so bad that the Rovers turned away from the scene in horror and disgust.

"Agh, Muzzle! Take it easy!" Hunter grimaced as he shielded his eyes.

Colleen couldn't bear to watch. "Ewww, that is just nasty, boy."

Blitz covered his eyes from the carnage. "Dhat is just too much, even for me."

The Rovers only unshielded their eyes when the carnage was over. Muzzle was resting on the floor, looking pretty satisfied with himself for a job well done. The room was more in ruins than what they started with, and the Cano-Mutants either ran off or laid...Somewhere in the wreckage of the furniture.

Shag then whipped out his camera from his fur coat and snapped a photo of the scenario. Blitz turned on his heel from the camera's flash and just gawked at him.

"Seriously? You took a picture of dhis?" Blitz said as he pointed his thumb over his shoulder to the ruined scene.

Shag sheepishly grinned before mumbling something in response before setting the camera away in his fur coat.

"Good work, Muzzle!" Hunter petted his best friend. He then looked over to the others and said, "Now, let's go after the Groomer before she gets away!"

Blitz's eyes were wandering the perimeter of the room. It always amazed – And scared him – at how much damage that loose cannon can do all by himself. Just as he was about to move out with the others he did a double take of the room and realized something.

"Speaking of getting away," Blitz began as he scratched his head. "Where did Exile go?"

Hunter's ears perked. He turned around and took a good look around the room. Blitz was right, Exile wasn't here. He's sure he didn't get near Muzzle's little rampage. His thoughts immediately went back to last night, when Exile displayed his hostility toward the Groomer. He recalled just how hostile he was during the chase and how angry he got when the Groomer got away.

One conclusion crossed his mind.

"Say, 'unter," Colleen spoke out as she began to get worried by Exile's disappearance. "You said that Exile had a little bit of a problem with the Groomer, right?"

Hunter reluctantly nodded, "It was more than just a little bit of a problem..."

* * *

><p>She panted for breath as she ran down the corridors of the facility. She knew the Road Rovers were going to show up eventually, she was prepared for that. So of course, why did it still surprised her when they did? Maybe it was their surprising little entrance through the sky-light and not through the front door like any normal person would.<p>

And now here she was, running the long way around the facility to get out. Either that or just opt to just blow another hole through the wall. It was a cliché, but it works just as well.

One thing does seem to go well for them. The Rovers didn't seem to be aware of their true plans as of yet, and none of them were the wiser of _it_. And as long as they keep oblivious their plans weren't in true danger as of yet.

But the General isn't going to be pleased if she returns to base with the news that she didn't properly dispose of _it_ and the Rovers.

There was only one option left. She just had to find the perfect place to set it up.

Groomer ran into another hallway, stopping for a moment to catch her breath before continuing on. She couldn't stop running for too long; the Cano-Mutants can only hold the Rovers off for so long. She continued down the hall as soon as she caught her breath, running as fast as she could.

She was just about to head through a double door at the end of the hall when a pair of lasers shot the door handles, startling the Groomer. She looked over her shoulder to see that one of the Rovers has followed and gained on her.

"Freeze!" The Rover growled before shooting another pair of lasers from his eyes.

Groomer ducked into a nearby door, avoiding the shots. She then grimly realized this Rover was shooting to kill.

Groomer backed away from the door as she reached for her blaster. The door was kicked open and before Groomer could even pull the trigger the blaster was shot out of her hand with the same lasers that tried to do her in.

She rubbed her hand as she faced the Rover, recognizing him all too well. That Siberian Husky who's always sabotaging their machines, breaking into their security and blowing their bases up. He looked angry, his hands curled tightly into fists and baring his teeth at her.

"Vicious today, aren't we pooch," she said as she rubbed her hand.

The Husky glared daggers at her, he was fighting the very urge to just shoot through her with his heat vision. But he had questions, and she had the answers. He wasn't going to let that pass up.

"Not as vicious as I am about to get," Exile snarled as he bared his claws at her. "You have a lot to be answering to, Groomer. For what you did to me."

"Did to you? Really, as far as we're concerned you wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for us."

Exile snapped. "Wouldn't be here? _Bolshoi_, my memories are _gone_! You forced me into working for you! I cannot remember who I am, or my comrades. You scrambled my brain like scrambled eggs, made me do evil things as far as I can even remember. You…_You ruined my lifes!_"

Groomer eyed at the enraged Husky. She noticed how much he's panting, like he was out of breath. His fur seemed to have seen better days as well. The color to it was lighter than she remembered, like it was fading. She then realized what this meant, and she counted her lucky stars to see it starting.

"Ruined your life, pooch?" She continued as she slowly inched her hand to her back, reaching for the spare gun in her belt. "That's kind of stretching it for only a few days worth. We never forced you to do anything. We just gave an order and you obeyed like a good little doggie."

Exile growled, "_Nyet_! I would never work for the bad guys! You brainwashed me, Groomer!"

He lunged at her with a furious yell, swiping at her with his fist. Groomer nearly screamed as the massive dog went for her before she jumped out of the way. Exile's fist went through a table, breaking it in two and sending all of the bottles and vials shattering into the ground.

Groomer scrambled to her feet and turned to the Rover. She was horrified to discover she dropped the briefcase, spotting it lying by Exile's feet just four feet away from her. She couldn't get to it this way, she would have to deal with the Rover first.

She quickly pulled out her spare gun and aimed it right at Exile, but the Rover was quicker to the draw. He immediately turned to face Groomer and shot once more with his heat vision.

Unfortunately that turned out to be a very big mistake. And with a room full of flammable and volatile chemicals, you know things are going to end badly when a scorching hot beam make their mark on them.

Groomer ducked out of the way, leaping to safety from the lasers' path. They struck a desk full of vials of flammable chemicals and triggered an explosion, causing a chain reaction with the other nearby chemicals along the desks and tables.

Exile covered his face from the blast, mentally kicking himself for such an idiotic mistake. He didn't even notice the pool of chemicals he was standing on from when he broke the desk until the resulting fire made a beeline to it. Once they caught fire the chemicals exploded on contact, throwing the Husky off his feet and violently crashing against the wall, knocking the breath out of him.

* * *

><p>From across the facility the rest of the Rovers felt the resulting shock from the explosion. Shag yelped in fright and held onto Blitz for dear life from the loud noise. Hunter and Colleen exchange glances, asking themselves what the heck was that. The explosion caused Muzzle to break into a barking fit, but Hunter managed to calm him down.<p>

"Please tell me dhat wasn't what I think it was," Blitz said as he tried to get Shag off of him.

Colleen gave Blitz a look, a little curious at what Blitz's second guess could be about such an unmistakable sound. "What do you think it was?"

Hunter held his breath. That explosion sounded close, further down the hall, maybe down a door or two. It wasn't a mystery where Exile disappeared to. But it was exactly that that worried him. Going after the Groomer alone was dangerous. And it didn't make it any better learning that Exile may or may not hold a deep grudge against her. Hunter had a disturbing thought as he wondered just how far Exile was willing to go just to catch her.

And if the explosion wasn't bad enough an alarm suddenly went off, followed by a very unsettling computerized alert.

_Emergency. Emergency. Biohazard leak confirmed. Immediate lockdown on all laboratories will be put into place at T-Minus twenty seconds. All personnel must evacuate immediately. Evacuate. Releasing all locks._

"Yet another unexpected twist," Hunter remarked his second catchphrase of the day. He turned to the others and shouted, "We gotta find Exile and get out of here!"

* * *

><p>Groomer's ears were ringing. She lied on the ground covering her head until she was sure there weren't any more explosions. She counted her lucky stars that she leapt away from the middle of the room to avoid being caught what could've been considered ground zero of the explosion.<p>

She slowly uncovered her head and saw the fire everywhere. From the desks to the bookshelves all she saw was an inferno. She coughed and reached for a handkerchief from her pocket, covering her mouth and nose with it to avoid breathing in the fumes.

She saw Exile lying on the ground across the room. Part of his uniform was ripped from the explosion, and it seems like he got hurt in the blast, she could see the blood oozing from his head.

She looked to her right and was horrified to see her briefcase on fire, almost burned down to just ashes. The materials inside were a total loss, there was nothing to salvage. She couldn't believe it.

"No…" She whispered.

She turned her head to Exile and narrowed her eyes. She immediately forgot about any murderous intent when she saw something on the ground next to him. She gasped as she realized what it was.

Meanwhile Exile groaned as he came to. He lied on the ground as his whole body was sore and ached. He twitched his fingers then his toes, glad to find nothing broken. He winced as his headaches were back, something that he didn't really miss but felt glad to feel all the same. It meant he was still alive.

He slowly raised his head, his left eye closed as he felt the blood trailing down that side of his face. He saw a metal object lying right there next to him. It took him a couple of seconds to realize it was the nuclear battery from before. He completely forgot that he had it with him all this time. It must've gotten knocked out of his pocket when the explosion slammed him into the wall.

Grimacing he slowly reached out to his with a shaky hand. He was just about there to grab it when someone stepped on his hand. "Ach!"

"What do we have here?" Groomer slyly asked as she picked up the nuclear battery. She examined the thing before looking down at the Rover with a smile, "Oh you're such a good dog. You brought it back for us."

Exile growled at the Groomer. He would retaliate with his heat or ice vision if his head wasn't throbbing. He couldn't believe how stupid he was, forgetting that he had it with him all along. He knew they were trying to build another one. And he practically handed over an already built model to them.

Groomer backed away from Exile as she held the device in her hand, looking mighty pleased with this turn of events. "I'm sorry I don't have a treat to give you as a reward, but I do have a little something just for you."

Exile gingerly rubbed his hand as he tried to get up. He only managed to sit up when he saw Groomer reaching for her belt. She held out a black sphere in her hand, the device looking mighty familiar to the Rover. She pressed a button on it and the sphere opened and extended, revealing a timer inside of the sphere.

Exile now knew what it was. It was a bomb.

"Poor pooch, about to be done in by your own work," Groomer mocked him. "And for the record, there wasn't any brainwashing involved, otherwise we would've done it ages ago."

No brainwashing? Exile shook his head. That can't be. He would never willingly help the bad guys, much less someone like the Groomer.

_Immediate lockdown on all laboratories initiated. All personnel evacuate immediately._

Exile looked up as he heard the warning. He didn't even notice the alarm blaring all over the facility and the computerized voice's constant warnings involving a countdown. The lockdown should've been obvious after he caused an explosion in one of the labs and causing a chemical leak.

His attention was brought back to his current dilemma when he noticed the bomb rolling on the ground by his feet. The timer was already counting down. Five minutes. He only had five minutes to get out. He quickly scrambled up to his feet as he noticed Groomer making a run for it.

"Stop!"

Groomer ignored his shouts as she ran through the door. She only looked back when she was clear out of the room. She had a satisfied smile on her face as the emergency shutters closed and sealed behind her, assuring her escape from the Rover.

Seeing the shutters closing brought him up to speed. He turned to the door near him to see the emergency shutters lowering as well to seal the biohazard in the laboratory. Working through the pain Exile ran for it, making a mad dash for the door. He had to throw himself and slide on his stomach through the narrow opening to barely make it before the shutters sealed shut.

"Ach…Ow…" Exile groaned, slowly picking himself up on his hands and knees as he held his stomach. "I am never doing that again…"

He panted as he had a hard time catching his breath. It was like the air around him was thinning, but he knew that was impossible. He was on the outside of the lockdown.

Using the wall as support Exile pushed himself up to his feet. With a barely contained snarl he slammed his fist into the wall in anger, denting it with his fist. He licked his lip a bit as his own blood trailed down his face that far, tasting the metallic taste of it. He half-wondered how bad the injury was.

"Exile!"

Exile spotted Hunter and the others rushing down the hall to meet him. He couldn't be more than happy to see them again. And they were all accounted for, he even noticed Shag pushing Muzzle around in his dolly. He almost forgot Muzzle came along with them.

Hunter winced as he saw the state Exile was in. He rushed over to him and gave him some support to keep him standing, at least until the daze wears off. "Are you okay, buddy? What happened?"

Exile motioned a hand behind him. "Is…It's nothing, just a…A big boom…"

"We heard it," Colleen added as she came to a stop next to the boys, using a cloth to wipe off the blood on the Husky's face. "Are you all right, though? Where's the Groomer?"

"She…She got away again…" Exile had to fight back a snarl from the mention of her name. He shook his head as he brushed Colleen's hand away, trying to get back to the important manner at hand. "Listen, we-"

"Um, excuse me?" Blitz interrupted the group. "But aren't we forgetting about the alarm? I thought you said we gotta get out of here!"

"_Dah_, we should!" Exile blurted out after Blitz said his piece. "Especially since the Groomer set a bomb for us!"

"A bomb?" The whole team exclaimed in shock of the newest twist.

Hunter looked to the readers and said, "A third unexpected twist in one day. That's gotta be a record."

The team didn't need to utter another word after Exile's warning of a bomb. The five of them ran down the hall as fast as they could. Most of the doors were sealed off due to the biohazard lockdown, so the way to the exit was pretty straightforward. And if the computerized voice was right about releasing all of the locks, then they just had to find the nearest exit.

"There!" Colleen pointed at a neon exit sign with an arrow pointing down the hall to their left.

"Head for it, Rovers!" Hunter commanded.

The team took the turn and ran toward the door at the end of the hall. Exile was mentally counting down the bomb's countdown. They only had two minutes left before the whole place goes up in smoke. And with all the chemicals and fumes in that room and contaminating the whole place it's only going to amplify the explosion.

There was no doubt about it. The whole facility was going to go up in flames.

Hunter barged through the exit doors with his shoulder and urged the others to make a dash as far away from the facility as they could. He made sure the whole team was ahead of him before he followed them out, even giving Shag a break from pushing Muzzle around and took the responsibility himself.

_Ten…Nine…Eight…Seven…Six…Five…Four…Three…Two…One… _"Hit the deck!"

The bomb went off and the whole facility went up in a fiery explosion. The shock of it threw the entire team down to the ground for cover, covering their heads with their arms. Hunter took it a bit further by protecting Muzzle with his body.

Their ears were still ringing even after the explosion was done. Hunter was the first to move. He slowly lifted his head and looked back at the facility, seeing it reduced to nothing but ashes and debris. Nothing was left standing. An impressive bomb he'd have to say.

"Is…Is everyone all right?" Hunter panted as he checked the rest of his team.

Everyone slowly stirred. They were all checking themselves for any injuries, rubbing their heads and making sure they didn't go deaf from the deafening boom.

"Everything all right 'ere, 'untie," Colleen reported.

Shag mumbled and whimpered, evidently scared senseless from that little escape scene. He blurted something out before sitting back down on the grass, hugging his knees to his chest.

"I know. But it wasn't that bad," Hunter replied to Shag's statement as he pulled Muzzle straight up, petting the Rottweiler to calm him down as he whimpered. "Although the alarm I could go without. That was annoying."

"Not dhat bad?" Blitz blurted out as he stood up. "We just ran out from a building contaminated with biohazard, whatever dhat means. And dhen we barely escaped a bomb with our lives! I agree with Shag, dhis is _the_ most terrifying moment of our lives!" He huffed and folded his arms over his chest. Then added, "I'm so taking a vacation the moment we get back home!"

Hunter was about to say something when the word 'home' made him remember something vital to them. He looked back at the remains of the facility as he held a finger to his lower lip.

"Please tell me we didn't park the Jet Rover up on the roof of the facility."

Blitz's eyes widened in shock as he too realized that little fact and turned to face the wreckage of the facility. His arms fell limp as his jaw dropped. He had to force himself to tell the truth.

"Yah, we did park it up dhere."

Hunter palmed his forehead. They just totaled one of their vehicles, and one of the expensive ones to boot. They were doing so well so far too, nine months without wrecking one. "I'm so not looking forward to calling the Master for a ride back home."

Colleen was just as dismayed about the Jet Rover's loss. Not because she wanted to go home just as much as Blitz does, but because they have a new problem on their hands. "Uhhh, 'gents?"

The males turned to Colleen's call. She was sitting on the grass next to Exile, who was sitting up resting against a tree, panting and gasping for breath. They all exchanged worried glances. Exile didn't look so good.

"Exile?" Colleen squeezed her hand on Exile's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Exile couldn't really say. He felt short of breath, his chest burning. His heart was racing against his chest, and that was making it even harder for him to breathe. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He was filling his lungs up to full capacity, but it only felt like he was just breathing thin air; or practically nothing at all.

Colleen looked up at the others with a worried look. "Blimey fellas, I think something's bloomin' wrong with 'im."

"Exile?" Hunter knelt down next to the Husky, looking in his eyes. "What's wrong? Are you in pain? Come on, say something."

Exile took another deep breath, finding it hard to believe how little he felt he was breathing. "I…I do not know…Just…Out of breath…"

Colleen glanced over to the others before looking back at Exile. The injury on his head from before was still bleeding, it wasn't clotting. And there was something else that stood out. She was sure blood isn't supposed to be that darker shade of red.

"It couldn't be from all that runnin'," she said.

"Hey," Blitz began to say, putting a finger to his lower lip as he just noticed something about Exile. "Is it me or is his fur looking a little different?"

Hunter glanced at Blitz and took another good look at Exile. Blitz was right; Exile's fur color was a bit faded. It wasn't the proper shade of blue anymore. It was lighter, as if gradually fading, bleaching into white. Hunter would make a joke that he was just getting old if the situation wasn't dire.

"Something's wrong with 'im, fellas," Colleen told them, snapping Hunter out of his stare. "We gotta get 'im home, now."

"I'll call Master," Hunter suggested. He stood up and looked to the other Rovers and said, "Stay with him, guys."

After receiving a nod from the others Hunter walked away from the group and tapped into his collar to try to get in touch with Mission Control. The comm. link was just connecting but Hunter swore under his breath, hoping they would just hurry up and pick up.


	8. Under the Microscope

**Chapter 7: Under the Microscope**

_Accessing: Road Rovers Comm. System_

_Configuring: Communications Protocol and Proxies_

_Please Wait..._

_Configuration Complete._

_Uplinking: Road Rovers Mission Control Japan Branch_

_Connecting..._

_Connection Established._

_Communicating: Road Rover ID #0270_

_..._

_Communication Established._

"Aki? Aki, do you read me?"

"_Read you loud and clear, Master."_

"Great. It's good to see you again."

"_It's been a long time, Master. What do I owe the pleasure?"_

"Well, we got a bit of a crisis on our hands here in Mission Control with one of our fellow Road Rovers, Exile. I'm sure you're familiar with him."

"_Exile? Oh yeah, the Siberian Husky. Road Rover ID #0140. He was the one who disappeared on an investigation almost two weeks ago if I´m not mistaken. I heard you also had the Europe Branch on the search and rescue assignment."_

"Yes, you're well informed. Anyway, about four hours ago the team was brought back home from a mission involving a robbery in a research facility. They lost the Jet Rover in the process so I had to send over an additional aircraft to pick them up."

"_There goes their nine months without a vehicle loss."_

"Hahah, true. Now, about Exile. Hunter made it a point for the extraction to be urgent. Exile returned home with some injuries and other ailments, as you can see from the report I'm sending over."

"_Yes, I see...It says here he was constantly fatigued and out of breath? He passed out? It sounds a little too extreme for such a minimal head injury and minor burns."_

"That's what I thought myself. But there was more to it than that."

* * *

><p><em>Four hours ago…<em>

It was a very strange chain of events. When the Road Rovers arrived home they went straight with Exile to the Medical Ward. According to Colleen Exile was complaining about not being able to breathe, always being out of breath and unable to recover from fatigue. She also mentioned about Exile's blood, and how it looked darker than usual. Master requested to take a blood sample to look deeper into the matter, and find out what's going on.

Exile passed out shortly after arriving at Mission Control. He was then brought into the Medical Ward, where Colleen and Master stayed by his side monitoring his condition, making sure they wouldn't lose him. But then the strangest thing happened. His condition improved as soon as it worsened. His breathing stabilized, the wound ceased depending on Colleen's first aid and began healing on its own. Considering the circumstances, the sudden recovery stumped them down. Master took a second blood sample to compare with the first one.

"He seems to be doing just fine now," the Master said, rubbing his chin in contemplation.

"Really?" Hunter asked, relieved to hear Exile's condition has improved. "So he's going to be okay?"

"We don't really know for sure, 'unter," Colleen answered, "He was struggling to even breathe one minute, and the next he's just fine and dandy."

"Maybe this was just a fluke?" Blitz suggested. "Maybe dhe biohazard back at dhe facility got to him?"

Master shook his head at the suggestion. "If it were that simple there wouldn't be much to worry about."

Hunter gulped as he heard Master say that. He didn't want to believe that Exile's condition was worse than they thought. That maybe all he needed was a shot or two. He almost dreaded to even ask what was exactly wrong with their friend. But in the end he had to be strong, for both himself and Exile.

"What do you mean?" But Colleen beat him to the punch.

"Master, do you know what's wrong with him?" Hunter added to the question.

"The samples gave me some very troubling results, Rovers," Master said. "After we brought him into the Medical Ward I took a sample of his blood. The blood sample was a very dark shade of red, too dark to be normal."

Hunter scratched his head, the meaning behind the discovery lost to him. "Okay, but what does that mean?"

"It means that Exile's blood has stopped taking in oxygen," Master explained. "Blood without oxygen take on a very dark shade of red when exposed to the air. And from the blood samples I took, Exile had a very low oxygen level. His blood just wasn't circulating enough oxygen through his body to properly support his body. In other words, in layman's term, you could say Exile was almost drowning."

Hunter blinked, a little confused there. "Wait a minute. Are you saying that Exile was…Drowning in air?"

Colleen shot Hunter a look and said, "That sounded silly, 'untie."

"Sometimes science doesn't sound like it makes sense," Hunter said with a shrug.

"Focus, Rovers," Master said, narrowing his eyes. "Now, as you just heard, Exile's back to normal health. We took another blood sample to double-check, and his oxygen level has regenerated back to a healthy number."

"Whoa whoa, back up a minute," Hunter interrupted the Master, trying to understand this. "Let me get this straight. A few hours ago until now Exile's blood was…Umm…"

"Getting lazy," Colleen said, helping him out.

"Right, that. And it almost choked him to death. But now, after nearly passing out on the way home, he's perfectly all right with his blood fully working and pumping with oxygen?"

The Master nodded. "In a manner of speaking, yes. It is a strange phenomenon I can't quite explain, not without further studies."

The Rovers exchanged worried looks, trying to make sense out of all of this. They saw how fatigued Exile was on the way back home. They heard his complaints, how he couldn't catch his breath or recover from his fatigue. It scared them. They only wished Blitz was right, that it was all just a fluke from the chemicals from the facility. But according to the Master it was something far more than just a fluke, and that's what worried them.

_It was a phenomenon that worried both me and the rest of the Rovers. And if it happened once I'm almost certain it'll happen again. Blood just doesn't stop delivering oxygen right out of the blue like that and just restart. There was something happening to him behind the scenes, and I intended on getting to the bottom of it. This was just one of the pieces of a larger puzzle. A puzzle that I'm sure dates back to the day Exile disappeared, two weeks ago._

* * *

><p>"<em>Hmmm…That is scary. Looking at the results of the blood samples I'm just surprised Exile is still alive. What do you think caused this?"<em>

"I'm not sure. Blood just doesn't stop delivering oxygen like that. It's impossible unless something's stopping it from doing so. But none of the scans suggests there is anything at work here."

"_Weird…What could it be...?"_

"But the blood samples were only one of the shocking discoveries."

"_Really? So you found something else?"_

"Yes. About a couple of hours later Exile was granted permission to leave the Medical Ward after his condition seemed stable. But he wanted to talk to the Rovers. About something important."

"_What about?"_

"When Exile was brought back home he was suffering from amnesia. He had little recollection of himself and of the rest of the Rovers. It was a cause of one of his many headaches."

"_Head trauma?"_

"Perhaps. He was found with a head injury and he was in a coma for three days."

"_I see. A head injury that can render you unconscious for three days can most likely give you migraines."_

"That certainly is correct. But back to the point, Exile was slowly recovering from his amnesia. But what he told us gave us some disturbing information. And that's what lead me to find this next thing I'm sending you now."

"…_Is this correct?"_

"Unfortunately, yes."

* * *

><p><em>Two hours ago…<em>

"How're you feeling, Exile?" Hunter asked.

Exile rubbed the back of his head as he let out a heavy sigh. To be honest he used to feel better than this. At the moment he felt like his whole body was just tired and heavy, like he just pulled an all-nighter out on patrol. "Feeling better, comrade," he half-lied.

"You really had us worried," Colleen said, "Are you breathing well?"

Exile took a deep breath and exhaled. He nodded with a slight smile. He felt brand new, being able to take a deep breath and actually savor the oxygen without any struggle. He felt very light-headed on the trip back home, and it was terrifying him at how little he felt he was breathing after taking such deep breaths, being deprived of oxygen by an unseen force.

"So, uh," Hunter began, feeling a little awkward about changing the subject so soon. "What is it that you wanted to talk to us about?"

The group gathered in the briefing room upon the Master's orders. It was Exile who requested the meeting to him when he was told that he could leave the Medical Ward. There were things he wanted to talk to them about, things that he felt were important.

When he blacked out in the Medical Ward Exile dreamt, or at least he thought he was dreaming. His meeting with the Groomer back at the research facility must've sparked some new memories buried deep within, and they came back to him as dreams.

"Well, I…" Exile slowly began, trying to sort out his thoughts and words for this. "I remember…Most of everything, I think."

Hunter looked at Exile, studying the expression on his face. He looked hurt, and angry. It became apparent to everyone that Exile must've remembered what happened to him. During those mysterious seven days he was missing.

"You mean…" Colleen said, "After you were…After you disappeared?"

Exile slowly nodded. "_Dah…_"

"Exile," Master said, placing a hand on the Husky's shoulder, "Are you feeling up to talk about it?"

"It is why I asked you to call everyone here," Exile replied with a nod.

"Dhen tell us," Blitz said, gripping a hand into a fist. "Tell us what dhey did to you, so I can go after them myself and bite them in the tooshies."

Exile shook his head with a suppressed snarl. He waved a hand at Blitz. "Don't be a weird boy."

That lifted a little the spirits of everyone in the room, even if for a moment. They all soon grew quiet as Exile began to share the depressing memories.

"I remember…I was working under General Parvo and Groomer. I had no memories of who I was at the time. I was just obeying orders like a good little dog. I was doing his dirty work, helping his Cano-Mutants stealing from banks, stealing money. I even remember helping them steal dogs from other owners and shelters."

Hunter frowned, sensing the hurt and shame in his voice as he spoke. "Exile…"

So, all those bank robberies, the missing dogs from the pounds and shelters; that was Exile committing the robberies with the Cano-Mutants all along. And to remember everything like this, Exile must've been very much aware of his actions. It sounded like an advanced stage of brainwashing.

Hunter then remembered how Exile was looking at the Transdogmafiers yesterday afternoon. How scared and reluctant he looked at them. He guessed Exile must've witnessed the dogs he stole being put through the Cano-Mutator, turning them into mutant monsters. He was wary on a subconscious level that the Transdogmafiers were going to do the same to him.

Their hearts went out for their friend and fellow Road Rover.

"But every night," Exile went on as he curled his hands into fists. "When I was put to bed, I would have dreams of Road Rovers, of comrades, of myself. I had no idea what they meant, but it only made it harder for me to ignore this sinking feeling in pit of my stomach every time I listened to Groomer and worked with the Cano-Mutants."

The more he heard the more Hunter began to hate Parvo. To hurt Exile, to dognap him and use him like this, this was just going too far, even for someone like Parvo. He gripped his hands into fists, trembling as his anger began to grow. He never knew he could ever hate someone as much as this.

"But one day," Exile continued, almost snarling now. "The nightmares kept coming even when I was awake. It confused me and made me feel terrible for the things I was doing and I didn't know why! Pretty soon I began to see who Parvo and Groomer really was, and…And…!"

Master nodded, guessing what happened next. "And when you couldn't ignore it anymore, you escaped. Is that right?"

Exile nodded. "Yes. It was after they told me to break into research facility and steal this…How you call it, capsule with uhhh…green juice inside."

"The Cellular Stabilizer?" The Master asked.

"Yes, that's it. I was the one who took it and gave it to them. And after that, I just could not ignore my feelings and instincts anymore. So I stole from them the nuclear battery that was important to them and escaped…But they found me and, well, that is it."

Hunter growled as he held a fist up. "Boy, just when you thought you couldn't hate Parvo's guts even more…"

"Just wait until I get my claws on him," Blitz said with a snarl.

Shag growled something intelligible. Even he wasn't spared of the anger being spread all over the room.

Colleen had her arms wrapped around her body, her eyes just about ready to shed tears if she heard any more. The way Exile spoke, his eyes never leaving his feet. He must feel so ashamed by his actions he couldn't bring himself to look at them.

There was something in Exile's testimony that got the Master's attention. "Exile, do you by chance have that nuclear battery you said you took from them?"

Exile's ears erected. They soon drooped down as he remembered what happened to it. "I'm sorry, Master. But I had it with me when we went to the research facility, but I dropped it during the first explosion and…Groomer took it…"

"Then Parvo's plans are still in motion," Master concluded.

Exile closed his eyes, growling and insulting himself. He knows he messed up by having the thing with him in the first place. Why, why did he forget he had the device on him? Why didn't he just leave it here at home where it was safe?

"Do you remember anything else?" Master pressed for more information, wanting to piece together whatever Parvo may be up to. "Anything about what they wanted the Cellular Stabilizer for?"

Exile shook his head. "_Nyet_. They didn't say anything, but I do remember one strange thing." He raised his eyes to the Master and continued. "Every night, I wasn't going to a bed or a room. They always made me get inside this machine, this big tank, with lots of cables and pipes. I have no idea why they wanted me in there, but they always made sure I would go in. From there I went into another room nearby, found and took the nuclear battery from."

A tank he said? That's the first they'd heard of such information. Of course, it was never good news when they would force you to retire into a tank-like machine every night.

"Lock you in a tank every night?" Hunter rubbed his chin, trying to grasp at the basic idea here. He exchanged glances with Colleen before continuing. "That kind of sounds like a movie I saw once…It…It sounds like…"

"…Like they were running experiments…" Colleen said.

It all fits perfectly. Make sure your prisoner goes into a tank every night and they would inject serums, formulas, or whatever it is they use, to keep the prisoner as brainwashed or ignorant as possible. A nightly dosage to make sure the effects lasts for the rest of the coming day sounds about right.

"Exile," the Master said, approaching the Husky. "I would like to run some tests on you, if that's all right with you. I would like to get to the bottom of this and discover what Parvo exactly did to you."

Exile looked at the Master and nodded, agreeing to the suggestion. If he does find what Parvo did to him he might be able to help him. Perhaps find a cure, an antidote to any toxins or formulas that are still in his body that are causing his problems, like his breathing problem from before, and something for his headaches too.

The process was quick and easy with the advanced machinery and technology Mission Control contained in the Medical Ward. Before they knew it Master had plenty of information and data about Exile, from his blood pressure to the nutrients in his diet.

The rest of the Rovers anxiously watched as the Master read through the data on the computer. He carefully read through them, narrowing his eyes at some of the words and graphs. The results were interesting, but shocking.

"Well, Master?" Hunter broke the silence, anxious to know something. "How is he?"

Master kept reading, but answered all the same. "His brain function is normal, his health is stable, and there are no signs of any anomalies or mutations in his body or genetics. Nothing to suggest he's been injected with toxins or chemicals, or experimented on."

Blitz shed a smile. "Dhat's great! So dhere's nothing wrong with him, after all?"

Master shook his head and said, "No, there is one thing...Something just doesn't make sense...His body age..."

The Rovers looked at each other exchanging shrugs. They have absolutely no idea what the Master is talking about. They never followed science much, if at all. They just let the Master and other brainy personnel deal with such things and then explain it to them in layman's term.

"Body age? What's that?" Colleen asked.

"Well, body age is a type of measure," Master said. "Think of it like your biological age that goes with your physical age. As you grow older your body ages accordingly by many factors, such as the absorption of the sun's rays and the nutrients you digest and absorb through your body."

Master paused and turned his head back to the monitor, eyeing the graphs and numbers displayed before continuing. "In Exile's case, his body age is comparable to that of a newborn puppy."

"Comparable to a puppy...?" Colleen couldn't understand what this meant. Does this mean that Exile's body health is like that of a puppy's? Is that what this means?

"Whoa, time-out!" Hunter said, crossing his hands in a 'T' position. "Exile's a _fully grown_ dog, and you're saying his 'body age' is like a puppy's? How does that even make sense?"

Master shook his head. "I'm not sure...This is something I've never seen before. Unless Exile's been locked away from any sunlight or physical activity, these readings are impossible… "

"Oh poor Exile," Colleen whispered, her eyes full with worry. "What could this mean?"

_A biological age that just didn't match his physical age. The mystery just grew darker and darker with no explanation that I could provide to the Rovers. This mystery was beginning to grow out of my element. Parvo stole the Cellular Stabilizer, and he took back the nuclear battery that Exile took from him. Those were the most important pieces for this puzzle, and the only hints for solving his plot and this whole mystery._

* * *

><p>"<em>Hmmm...That's just impossible. One's body age can't get that way out of sync with his physical age just like that, especially when you consider a Road Rover's typical life style."<em>

"Believe me I'm just as surprised and stumped as you are, Aki. Going through Exile's files it should be much higher. "

"_That is quite a puzzle...He said something about a tank and of a Cellular Stabilizer. Those two things kind of caught my interest."_

"According to research and from what I know the Cellular Stabilizer is a formula for stabilizing cells that would normally break up and dissolve over time. It was recently developed to stabilize cells artificially created for medical use, making them last for proper treatment. It's a new formula still in testing and shouldn't be distributed for another few more years."

"_What would Parvo want something like that for? Unless..."_

"Unless he's developing something that takes so much power and resources it needs stabilization. Parvo once tried to steal the Molecular Stabilizer a few years ago, a device that he needed to make the effects of the Cano-Mutator last. The Rovers recovered the device of course, but..."

"_But by following that logic..."_

"It could be that Parvo found a way to make even more powerful Cano-Mutants. But they might be so powerful that their cells are breaking up and dissolving way too fast to be of any use to him."

"_Of course, that sounds like something Parvo would do. Just how far is he willing to go for world domination...What also interests me is this tank Exile mentioned. Has he said anything more about it?"_

"No, he hasn't. Most of his memories not related to his abduction are still not coming back to him. His amnesia must be worse than we thought."

"_Hmmm...What could this mean...We got the Cellular Stabilizer, a nuclear battery, a tank where they forced Exile in every night and of course Exile's strange ailments..."_

"The issue of his blood not taking in oxygen and his biological age measures..."

"_There's a pattern here. These are all connected, there's just something we're not seeing around here somewhere…Is there something we're missing?"_

"There is one thing I haven't mentioned yet. It was brought to my attention by Hunter, one of our fellow Road Rovers. And if you ask me, it's the most troubling out of the problems we've discussed so far."

"_What is it?"_

"DNA…"

* * *

><p><em>Three hours ago…<em>

It's been half an hour since the Master's talk with the Rovers over Exile's blood. He's been thinking and stringing theories over this odd phenomenon, trying to find out what's going on within the Siberian Husky's body.

He sat in front of his computer in his laboratory, going over again the blood results from earlier. He was looking through his blood all right, but from a completely different angle. He was magnifying on a blood drop, running scans on the DNA strands present in the drop.

Master closed his eyes with a sigh, recalling the conversation he had with Hunter half an hour ago.

"_Master? Can we talk for a minute?"_

"_Of course. What's wrong, Hunter?"_

"_Well, before we went out on our mission something happened. We were using the Transdogmafiers to turn back into regular dogs, you know, to go home. But when it was Exile's turn he...Didn't change."_

"_He didn't change?"_

"_Yeah, he didn't change back to a dog or anything. He just...Stayed the same, as a Cano-Sapien. And the Transdogmafier wasn't broken either, Blitz used the same one a few seconds before he used it and he changed just fine."_

"_For such a thing to happen...Impossible..."_

"_Yeah, I really couldn't have predicted that when it happened. I'm worried, Master. This would pretty much be the first time the Transdogmafier doesn't have any effect on us, right?"_

"_Yes, it would...I'll take a look into it, Hunter. I'll double-check the Transdogmafiers for any errors in their registry. For now you should go get some rest; you must be exhausted after today."_

"_Yeah, okay...Oh, and let us know when Exile wakes up, okay?"_

The Master kept his word. He checked each and every Transdogmafier, but found no errors or anomalies. For all intent and purposes, they were all working perfectly. This only made the Master worry even more.

The Master reviewed how they work. The Transdogmafier takes the molecular structure and DNA of the dog and modifies them, giving them human-like capabilities and bodies, turning them into Cano-Sapiens. All the while giving them super powers based on their behaviors, life style and habits. But even as a Cano-Sapien their prints as a regular dog still remains in their DNA. When going through the process a second time the machine would find these prints to recover the dog's original form and reverse the process, turning them back into their original dog forms.

Other than a probable error with the machine, the Transdogmafier would only fail to turn a Cano-Sapien back into a regular dog if the subject…Didn't have the prints in their DNA to begin with.

The Master shook his head. It's impossible for said prints to be lost or just disappear. It's a vital part of the subject's genetics. They're directly infused into the DNA. If one were to attempt to remove or destroy it by any direct means it could severely impair the subject, even end with death.

"Unless," Master muttered to himself, thinking of it from another angle.

He stood up and walked to another machine in his laboratory, retrieving the vial containing the blood sample he extracted from Exile. He inserted the vial into the machine, pressed a few buttons and watched as it took the vial in, hearing the gentle hum of the machine as it started up. He then looked up at the monitor, looking over the data that poured out as it scanned the blood sample. The Master inputted a command and then waited as the machine worked its thing. It was scanning the DNA strands in the blood, analyzing them and breaking the data up into readable information, charts and graphs.

"All right, show me what's wrong, Exile," the Master said as the information he needed displayed onscreen.

His eyes moved from chart to chart, from graph to graph, comparing and looking for anything that might be out of order. It didn't take long for him to find something terribly wrong within the blood sample. "This can't be right…"

The Master quickly pulled up the Road Rover files and dug up Exile's old medical files. He compared the current DNA readings with Exile's old archived ones, taken a couple of years ago during the Werewolf Incident. He also inputted the second blood sample he took shortly before Exile passed out for thorough comparison.

His eyebrows burrowed as he noticed the differences between the three readings, noticing what this could mean. No wonder the Transdogmafier had any effect on him.

"They're deteriorating," the Master said. "Exile's dog prints are full of holes. They're practically gone, corrupted. Not only that, but his entire DNA is slowly breaking up."

_Exile's DNA was slowly deteriorating, that was why the Transdogmafier didn't turn Exile back into a dog. It just couldn't. At the time I didn't know what to make of this, it's the first I've ever seen such a thing happening before my eyes. It wasn't until an hour later when this began to draw a picture along with all of the information I gathered from Exile's story and examinations._

* * *

><p>"<em>So, you have an idea on what's going on then?"<em>

"I have theories, but none are conclusive. There are still quite a few things I have to go over to really come up with a firm conclusion."

"_I see…Hmmm…Master, with all due respect, what's the point of this call? From the sounds of it you have everything checked out, your reports are detailed enough to draw out a conclusion eventually. I don't see any other way I can be of any help."_

"I may have theories, but even I alone can miss some things that could support one theory or take this all in a whole new direction. I was hoping for a fresh pair of eyes to go over my results and theories, maybe even find something I've missed. This is a delicate and very serious problem, Aki. We can't go over this half-heartedly. One of our own is in danger here."

"_I understand, Master. And I must say, everything I've seen so far is so interesting, and yet so disturbing. Your notes are very detailed and well-written for me to go over them and come up with my own conclusions. But, if it's okay with you, I'd like to personally visit Exile and run my own tests and observations."_

"I'm glad we're on the same page, Aki. That is one of the reasons why I contacted you. Your owner is Professor Toriyama, one of Japan's renowned scientists. If anyone could be of great help and assistance on this case, it would be you."

"_I'm honored to hear that from you, Master. Now, if we're concluded here I'll be on the next Lugger to your branch's Mission Control. Shouldn't take me more than a few hours."_

"Of course. I'll see you when you arrive. Thank you, Aki."

"_No problem. I'll be there first thing in the morning. See you then, Master."_

_Communication with Road Rover ID #3570 has been terminated._

_Connection to Road Rovers Mission Control Japan Branch has been terminated._

"Exile…"

_Access to Road Rovers Comm. System has ended._

"Parvo won't get away for what he's done to you. We'll find a way to fix this; if possible…"

_Accessing: Military and Medical Files_

"I just hope my theories are wrong…"

_Accessing: CONFIDENTIAL - Klónos Project_


	9. A Destined Escape

**Chapter 8: A Destined Escape**

Hunter and the others were occupying the living room. They were sitting around, no one speaking a word or making a move. It was almost five in the morning. None of them could fall sleep. Ever since their talk with the Master about Exile's condition hours ago they've been nothing but worried. Understandable, they just learned that there was more to Exile than just amnesia, after all.

They didn't know what else to do to help their fellow Rover other than waiting and hoping the Master could find a solution in time before his condition got worse. They didn't want to think about on what could happen if left unchecked.

Blitz was sitting in a chair, facing the opposite intended direction with the spine of the chair in front of him. He raised his head as he rested his chin on the chair's spine and looked to the others, asking "So, how do you dhink Exile's taking it?"

Hunter looked at Blitz and replied, "He hasn't come back in since he went out for a walk. How do you think he's taking it?"

Blitz frowned. Ever since the talk Exile's been pretty depressed...Well, a lot more depressed than before. Amnesia was one thing, but also learning he has other problems going on in his body, namely the abnormality about his blood not taking in any oxygen all of a sudden.

"There has to be somethin' we can do," Colleen said.

"I wish there was, Colleen," Hunter said with a frown as he slammed his fist into his open palm. "Boy, just wait until we find and get our paws on Parvo. This time he's gone too far."

"Yah, I will put the hurt on him and his tooshie," Blitz said with a growl, clamping his jaws twice.

Colleen shared their enthusiasm on finding Parvo and putting him behind bars once and for all, but at the moment her attention was more on Exile. It just ate away at them the thought that there was nothing they could do. She could only imagine the pain and frustration Exile himself must be going through at the moment.

What's going to happen next, they wondered. What if his blood stops supplying oxygen through his body again? He might be so lucky the next time it happens.

Hunter anxiously tapped his foot. He didn't know what to do, and it was getting him anxious. He clapped his hands and shot up from his chair, the whole idea of just sitting around driving him crazy. "I don't know about you guys," he said. "But I'm going to find Exile. I can't just sit around and do nothing."

Colleen looked at Hunter. "I don't know, 'unter. Maybe Exile just needs some time alo-"

"No offense, Colleen, but we've given him a lot of time to be by himself ever since he got here," Hunter said, interrupting her. "And if you ask me I think he's had enough of that. You know what I think? I think spending some time with us might do him a lot better instead of just being alone. Cheer him up with some good ol' fashion fun. Hey, it works every time he always felt down, remember?"

Colleen gave some thought to Hunter's idea. He had a point. They always helped each other in getting through their own personal tough times, whether by listening to each other's problems or lending a shoulder to cry on. And she had a feeling spending so much time alone was just hurting Exile more than it was helping. Colleen knew Hunter was right.

Shag chimed in with an agreement to Hunter's words, and it reinforced Colleen's opinion about Hunter having the right idea on what to do.

"You know what, you're right, 'untie," Colleen agreed with a nod. "We should be there with 'im, not sitting around waitin' for something to happen."

Hunter smiled and nodded to Colleen, happy to hear she agreed with him. He looked over at Blitz as he was still sitting in his chair, bobbing his heel up and down with his toes on the ground.

"What do you say, Blitz?" Hunter asked.

"Wha-?" Blitz jolted, apparently having zoned out somewhere along the way. He immediately caught himself with what the others were talking about and responded, "Yah, sounds good."

* * *

><p>…<p>

"_I can't believe how smooth these babies run over all this sand!"_

…

"_Is new tires, comrade. They have good traction on sand."_

…

"_All right Rovers, let's give this desert a thorough search!"_

…

"_Nothin' over 'ere either, 'unter. This is mighty strange. You'd think we'd see somethin' by now."_

...

"_I get it, Exile. You want out of the sun."_

…

"_All right, we'll take one more lap just in case we missed anything, then we'll head back h-"_

_**BOOM!**_

"_Aaaaagh!"_

…

…

…

_Exile groaned after his world stopped spinning._

_He twitched his fingers and toes, trying to find any broken bones he may have suffered. He was thankful when he found none, then he slowly opened his eyes._

_His vision was blurry; the pain all over his body was beginning to kick in. He shut his eyes again as a sharp pain erupted from his sides, just over his ribs. He grunted loudly and reached over to his side to hold it, and felt a warm wet substance. He brought up his shaking hand to his face and saw red on his silver glove. He was hurt. How badly he didn't know, but judging by how much it hurt it was probably bad._

_He turned his head and saw the remains of a vehicle, engulfed in flames. For an instant he couldn't recognize the totaled vehicle, or even remember what it was before it was destroyed._

_What just happened, he wondered, trying to remember. He was riding the new Cycle Rover, and something caused it to blow up, launching him through the air and crashing onto the hot sand. Was it engine failure? He doubted it. He went over the modifications so many times he's sure he didn't miss anything._

_Placing his hands on the ground he tried to hoist himself up, working through the agony emitting from his left side. He didn't get very far once he noticed a rather peculiar happening not too far from where he is. Something was rising from under the sand, something metallic he guesses as the sun's rays bounces off of it. This has to be a mirage, or he's seeing things. But then he sees a number of figures emerging out from it, and they were heading his way._

_Before Exile could adjust and make out who these unknowns were something struck the back of his head. Hard._

_His head fell to the hot sand, and then everything went black._

Exile shook his head, chasing away the memories.

He was back standing at the beach just outside of Mission Control. He couldn't sleep or do anything back there, so he figured going out on the beach again could do him some good, let his mind wander. He folded his arms as he stared out into the ocean, allowing his mind to wander in an attempt to get his thoughts straight.

There was something wrong with him, something much more than just a case of amnesia. His problem breathing, the strange 'body age' thing he heard the Master talk about, what could this all mean? Was there more to their plot than just brainwashing?

Exile gritted his teeth. He hasn't forgotten the cryptic words Groomer left him with.

"_Ruined your life, pooch? That's kind of stretching it for only a few days worth. We never forced you to do anything. We just gave an order and you obeyed like a good little doggie."_

"_And for the record, there wasn't any brainwashing involved, otherwise we would've done it ages ago."_

He didn't believe her words. He couldn't. How can they not brainwash him when he was actually working for them stealing money and other dogs for their schemes? He would never, _ever_, willingly work for them.

Exile growled as the memories came back to him. He recalled how he broke into banks, leading the Cano-Mutants into the buildings to take the money, how he broke through doors with his shoulders, shooting out locks and devices with his heat vision. Those memories weren't when he was a Rover like he previously thought; those memories were from when he was working for the Groomer!

He then recalled the terrifying faces of every dog he helped steal. He remembered how scared they all were when he personally threw a couple of them into the Cano-Mutators. He witnessed as they walked out as mutants, Cano-Mutants, Parvo's servants. He couldn't recall a moment where he hesitated or refused to until his old memories started haunting him.

His old memories...

Exile lowered his head, resting his forehead over his knuckles as he rose up his fists. He still couldn't explain why he could only recall the memories of when he was under Groomer's control, after the incident at the Sahara Desert. Other than a few fragments and little bits and pieces he didn't have any of the memories he should have: The memories of his whole life, the memories as a Road Rover.

Why? Why all the bad ones and not the good ones? That's a question he's been asking himself all day. And it's been frustrating him, angering him. He recovered most of his memories when he was under Groomer's control, but nothing new on the others.

Were those memories gone? Forever?

"That cannot be," Exile growled, gripping his fists so tight he could almost draw blood.

One mental image never seems to leave his mind. The image of Groomer looking at him with that smirk plastered on her face. How satisfied she looked at the thought that she used him to get what she wanted, to help her push forward with their plans.

Exile's anger reached a new boiling point. He let out an angered howl as he threw his head up, opening fire at the ocean with his heat vision. The stream of the red hot beams shot straight over the waves of the ocean, carrying with it his anger. He stared out into the ocean once he was done letting his anger out, panting by the exhaustion of letting out such powerful beams from his eyes.

He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand as he felt his eyes tearing up. At first he thought it was just his irritated eyes, the results of using his heat vision. He soon corrected himself when he felt a pang in his chest. They were tears of frustration, of sadness.

He fell back to sit on the sand and tried to hold back the tears. He hugged his legs to his chest, resting his chin on his knees as he blankly stared out at the ocean and the sun rise. He felt so exhausted after yesterday, he just wants to just close his eyes and drift off into a pleasant sleep. However, only one thing kept him from doing so. He was afraid that he would have trouble breathing again, this time in his sleep. He might never wake up again. He convinced himself that by staying awake he might not run into such a problem. Or if it happened again he could at least be awake to get help.

Letting out a heavy sigh Exile rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, drying away the tears that were stinging his eyes.

"Exile?"

The husky's ears perked. He looked over his shoulders and saw Hunter and the others standing a few feet away. All eyes were on him as the only sound around them was the incoming tide of the ocean's waves. Exile had a feeling they were just as stressed and upset as he was, judging by how they were looking at him.

"Hey, comrades," Exile said, half-heartedly holding a hand up to them in greeting.

Hunter did his best to smile as they approached him. "How're you feeling, buddy?"

"Considering circumstances, I guess I'm okay," Exile responded, shrugging his shoulders. "As best as I can probably feel, what with waiting for death and all."

The mere mention of the word made his blood run cold. He glanced back at the others as he noticed it had the same effect on them as well. He was no doctor, but turning his condition over and over in his mind he knows it's lethal. The next time he's fatigued and renders him unconscious he's more than likely to never wake up again. It scares him.

"Oh, Exile," Colleen went over and sat next to Exile, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Don't talk like that. You're not goin' to die. You'll get through this."

"Colleen's right," Hunter said with a nod. "You're not going to die. Master's working very hard to find out what's wrong and develop a cure. You're going to get better, and I know it."

"Hm," Exile tried to smile. It lifted his heart knowing that at least he had his friends' support. At least with that he can find the inner strength to carry on.

The team stayed together, their eyes cast out to the beautiful sun rise over the ocean view. They enjoyed the cool breeze brush through their fur, allowing them to find a much needed respite. Just watching the rising morning together as a team. As a pack. As best friends.

"Hey, Exile."

Exile jolted from his stare to the ocean waves. "Hm?"

Hunter scratched his cheek, acknowledging he's about to step into thin ice. "I know this is probably the last thing you wanna do right now, but there's something that's been bugging me."

"Yeah_?_ What is it?"

Hunter picked his next words carefully. "When you…Disappeared, where exactly did you go? I mean, you just vanished into thin air after the Cycle Rover was destroyed. How did you end up back at the Sahara Desert a week later when we found you?"

"Hunter," Colleen snapped as she shot a look at the Retriever. A look that made Hunter bite his tongue, flinching from the tone in her voice. He had a feeling it was either too soon or just bad timing on his part for that kind of question.

"I really don't think this is the right time to be asking 'im about-"

Exile stopped Colleen before she could eat Hunter alive. "No, it's all right, Colleen. I'm fine, really."

Colleen gave a concern look at the Husky. Exile nodded that it was okay, and she backed off. He caught a glance of Hunter sighing in relief, then spared a look at Blitz and Shag before he spoke.

"Well, I…Cannot remember exactly what happened after Cycle Rover was destroyed. Only when I woke up I was already in Parvo's hide-out, wherever it was. I never really saw exactly where that place was, since I always rode behind inside their trucks or ships. Very bad transport service. No food or movies."

"Anyway, while I was in hide-out nobody would let me outside. And no windows too. Only when I escaped did I actually see where I actually was that whole time…"

* * *

><p><em>Exile stood in the middle of a large room. His eyes were absently staring ahead, ignoring or just not caring being surrounded by Cano-Mutants. He looked like he was standing in the middle of the control room, the very center of the hide-out where the villains usually sit around for hours on end making their plans.<em>

_He moved his eyes and looked around the room, looking at all the Cano-Mutants. He helped capture all these dogs. He helped transform them into the mutants that they are. Mindless soldiers serving one the meanest humans on earth. One would debate if he was even human anymore._

_Exile couldn't put his finger on it, but lately something about all of this made him sick to his stomach. It angered him, made his blood boil. But he couldn't pin a single reason why._

_His thoughts went back to the mental images that have been haunting his dreams these past few days. Mental images about a group of dogs in silver armor, up to five in all, fighting crime and saving homes from evil's strife. One of these dogs looks just like him, much to his confusion._

_And lately these mental images wouldn't leave him alone even when he's awake. It was taking a toll on his mental health, and it made him question every move and action he makes for the man he works for, the man that has given him a home and purpose._

_Gripping his hands into fists there was nothing else he could do other than stand and stay like an obedient dog. He looked up to see the pair whom he's been serving for the last week. The man, whom he just knew as the General, was examining a device he recovered from their latest robbery. Back then Exile had no clue what the item was called. But now he can link it to a name: The Cellular Stabilizer._

"_Good, very good," the man said with a grin. "This is just the thing we needed. At last, the final phase in my brilliant plan will finally be a reality! Hahahah, nothing can stop me now!"_

_Exile's ears pressed to his head as the General laughed. He began to hate it, and at some points he even had the urge to just shut him up himself. He naturally held himself back, finding the animosity unwarranted. Or at least, he thought it was unwarranted. Right now he's beginning to even wonder about that._

_His ears perked as he began to hear the General coughing up a storm. He had to hold back a chuckle when the General managed to hack out "Lozenge!"_

_The woman standing right next to the General whipped out a little device and dispensed something into the General's mouth. Almost at once his coughs ceased afterwards. Once recovered the General looked at Exile and gave his orders to the two Cano-Mutants behind him. Exile already knew what he was going to say before he said it._

"_Take him back to his hole. He's done for today."_

_Exile didn't feel like he was ready for bed already. In fact, he felt the complete opposite. He didn't want to get put back in that...That thing. He at first didn't question it, but now he couldn't stand being escorted back to it, much less being stuffed into it._

_The two Cano-Mutants shoved him down the hall, a Dalmatian mutant and a Cocker Spaniel mutant. He silently walked through the hall, down a flight of stairs and through a few more doors, all the while trying to keep his mind straight. Try as he might he couldn't stop the questions and doubts._

_Why does this feel all wrong? Who are these dogs that constantly plague his dreams?_

"_This human is evil," a voice in the back of his head hissed at him. "You shouldn't be here. You must escape and return to your friends!"_

_Friends? What friends? Those dogs from his dreams?_

_He then walked through an automatic door, the two Cano-Mutants following behind him to make sure he doesn't try anything funny. In front of him stood a huge and intimidating machine with many cables plugged into it and other devices. There was the tank right in front of him, the place where he always steps into to sleep._

_Exile froze in his steps as the images came back in his head. It was the General again, along with some other images from his previous failed plans. Plans that involved giant bugs, a massive dog napping scheme, even time travel. These images made the Husky's blood boil, and his hatred toward the General only grew more._

_The Cano-Mutants shoved Exile forward toward the tank. Exile glanced back at them with a huff before stepping toward the inviting machine, one foot into the tank and his hands on the edges of the opening. He stopped there, seeing more images haunting his mind._

_Closely following the previous images were visions of those dogs in armor again. Their names came naturally when the dreams began: Road Rovers. He recognized them all, but he couldn't come up with a name for each. A Retriever, a Doberman, a Collie and a Sheepdog._

_Anxiety swelled up in him, his body refused to take that step forward into the tank. He saw himself again in that silver armor, and that was enough. He couldn't take it anymore._

_The Dalmatian Cano-Mutant growled and grabbed Exile's shoulder to shove him inside. Exile jerked his shoulder out of the Cano-Mutant's grip and threw his elbow back, driving it into the Mutant's face._

_The Dalmatian Cano-Mutant whined as it held its nose. Exile turned and leaped at the stunned Cocker Spaniel Cano-Mutant, throwing his fist to the mutant's face. The Cocker Spaniel fell to the ground after a double-handed strike to the skull, and the Dalmatian received a left hook to the face before a powerful blow to its stomach knocked it out._

_Exile panted as he stood over the knocked out mutants. Somehow this all felt familiar, and he felt a great deal of satisfaction kicking the living tar out of these two. It was a nostalgic feeling; one that made him shed a small grin in triumph._

_He took one more look at the machine, slowly backing away from it before taking off into a run, taking a nearby reinforced door. He often saw the General and her woman assistant going down this route, perhaps it leads him to something important, something that could help him figure this out._

_He soon found himself in a big room with four huge machines. He walked to the one in the middle, which looked rather different than the rest, and saw an indentation in the machine. Taking a look inside he saw a nuclear battery, the heart of the machine that keeps it up and running. This huge machine was a nuclear reactor, and Exile recalls hearing them mention something or other about it. He realized that if he wanted to stop whatever he helped the General start then taking that thing with him would be a good a start as any._

_He looked back to the indentation, taking note how it was safeguarded with a glass cover. He slammed his fist into it and shattered the protective layer. In hindsight it was probably a bad idea shoving his hand into the indentation without shutting down the reactor first. What happened next was a painful electrocution the moment he wrapped his fingers around the battery._

_He felt agonizing pain taking over his body from head to toe. His body convulsed from the electric shock and contracted his muscles. Thousands of bolts were coursing through his body as he held onto the device, numbing his body and burning his insides. For a moment there he thought he was going to die. Now there was something to think about._

_Gritting his teeth he pulled his body back, and with one strong pull he yanked the nuclear battery out from its socket. The machine soon shut down once it was missing its power supply. However, the moment the machine shut down an alarm began to blare throughout the facility. Clearly this machine wasn't meant to be shut down, Exile concluded._

_Exile panted as he slowly recovered from the shock, waiting for the numbness to go away as he periodically involuntary convulsed for a second or two. A twitch here or there, a muscle twitching or contracting._

_As he panted he heard a noise coming from behind him. It sounded like thundering footsteps, perhaps more of those Cano-Mutants. Exile turned around in time to catch at least three of them pouring into the room, all of them carrying blasters. Exile acted quickly before the mutants could react and used his ice vision, encasing them in a block of ice from head to toe._

_Exile didn't stick around for a second longer afterwards. He went through the third available doorway and ran up the stairs at the end of the hall as fast as his legs could carry him. He had an idea on where he could find a way out of here, and he also had a vague memory of the layout of this section of the facility, which was just about enough to help him evade the paths where he would just run into more Cano-Mutants or, heaven forbid, the General and his assistant. He didn't want to see them again any time soon._

_He kept running down the halls he knew he had to take. On occasions he would run into a Cano-Mutant or two, but Exile quickly took care of them by either freezing them with his ice vision or knocking them out._

_Exile finally reached the room he was searching for after ascending another flight of stairs or two. He jumped through the automated door and panted once he was on the other side. He turned back to the door and messed with the keypad next to it, locking the door. He even went the extra mile and used his heat vision to weld the door shut to buy him some time._

_Once satisfied with the door Exile turned and looked around. The room was pretty big, housing a truck, a van and one or two aircrafts, even a row of motorcycles, but nothing he could actually use without the proper keys. And he was in too much of a hurry to take the time to hotwire one. He frantically scanned the room for a door, anything that said 'the exit is through this door, hurry!' But found none that would be obvious._

_He did however find a promising door just at the top of a stairs. He ran up to it and threw himself against it. It wouldn't budge or open, which didn't surprise him. He took a step back to stare at the door, just noticing how oddly angled it was positioned. It looked like it was leaning back toward him, like a secret door meant to be camouflaged into a hill from the outside._

_He glanced down to see a metal grating for a floor in contrast to the solid steel the stairs were made from. Just under the grating was solid steel, which insinuated it was meant to filter and clean out whatever falls through the grating. Maybe it was to make sure any dirt from the outside wouldn't be dragged inside? Even evil likes to maintain its facilities clean, he guesses._

_Wondering how he was going to open this door Exile spotted a terminal over on the wall. Judging by its location it should be the terminal that operates the door. He went over to it and hovered his fingers over the keypad, trying to guess what combinations he should try to open the door. He inputted a few he randomly knew, but none worked. He tried another, then another, and then punched in a random combination just because. But nothing, nothing but an error message every time._

_His ears perked as he heard a banging coming from behind the door he welded shut. The alarm was still blaring and the General may have already noticed he was to blame for it._

_Exile cursed and grabbed the terminal's cover, hooking at the edges with his claws and ripping it apart, deciding to hack and bypass the lock. He pulled a few cables out and got to work, using his heat vision to cut a few wires and crossing some others. A sweat ran down the side of his head as he frantically did the work, his heart pounding against his ribcage._

"_Come on, you little…" Exile growled, the bangs against the door echoing in his ears._

_He finally crossed two wires together, blowing out sparks as they made contact. The gutted screen of the terminal glowed green and the word 'OPEN' flashed onscreen._

"_Yes!"_

_Exile pressed his thumb on the button and soon heard the door beginning to open. He rushed to leap through it as soon as it opened, but when the door cracked slightly ajar Exile had to back away in surprise. Sand began to fall in from the door as it opened, pouring into the metal grating. Exile watched in surprise until only the sun light poured in from the door. He shook his surprise off and ran up the remaining steps and through the door._

_The sun blinded the dog as he stepped out. The heat wave struck him hard, making him wince and grit his teeth as he shielded his eyes with his hands. He nearly tripped over his own feet from the uneven ground. He slowly unshielded his eyes and looked down. The ground wasn't concrete, or the color of metal for that matter. He was standing on sand._

_Exile looked back as the door he just went through slowly closed behind him. His ears twitched as he heard a humming sound coming from under the sand shortly before san erupted from a hidden machine over the door, burying the entrance under tons of sand. He curiously placed his hand over the sand, digging and dusting it away. He found the door again, about a couple of feet under. He stood back up and dusted his hands. Camouflaging technology. It was impressive. If he didn't know any better he wouldn't even suspect there was a door under all of that._

"_Where am I?" He muttered as he looked around._

_All he could see was nothing but sand. He guessed he was in the middle of nowhere, a desert. That only posed a problem. He was miles away from anything even remote to civilization. He didn't know which direction to start, but he figured any where is better than here._

_Exile looked back at where the door was hidden before taking off in a run. He ran as fast as he could, pumping his arms and keeping his balance as he ran on the sand. Every step he took he could feel the sand's heat scorching the bottom of his boots, the sun's burning rays overheating his body under his black uniform. Beads of sweat beaded his forehead, and his tongue hanged out of his mouth as he panted for breath. He yelped as he tripped over the sand, but he quickly scrambled to pick himself up to his feet and continue running._

_With his erect ears he swore he heard something behind him. With a gulp he looked back and gasped as far behind him he saw things popping out from under the sand. They were Cano-Mutants, and judging from the sounds they must be riding those motorcycles he saw back at the facility. What he wouldn't give to have one himself at the moment._

"_Ach!"_

_Exile yelped as he tripped over his feet again, this time rolling down a sand hill all the way to the bottom. He landed hard on the hot sand at the bottom, his head humorously buried under. With a grunt he pulled his head out of the sand and coughed and spat whatever sand found its way into his mouth. He wiped his lips with the side of his arm and hoisted himself up to his hands and knees. He noticed a boulder at least three feet away from him and counted his lucky stars he didn't just crash land into the thing. "Bolshoi, was I lucky or what."_

_His luck ran out when he heard the engines of the Cano-Mutants' motorcycles getting louder and louder. Thinking fast he crawled himself to the boulder to hide in the shadows, hoping his black uniform would make him hard to see if he sticks to the shadows and crouch against the boulder as tight as he could._

_He held his breath as he heard them right on top of the sand hill he slipped under. He curled himself tighter to the boulder, not daring to take a peek and risk being seen. Luckily for him the Cano-Mutants weren't smart and they took off to search for him elsewhere._

_Relief swept over him. But now one big question came up. Now that he got out of there, where was he supposed to go now? Going back wasn't an option, but going forward seem to lead to nowhere. The only thing remaining he can turn to were meaningless and vague images littering his mind. Memories he didn't know he had. He didn't know where to begin._

_Exile sighed as he ran his hand down his face, damping his fur with the sweat from his forehead. Staying around here wasn't going to help him, so putting one foot in front of the other Exile moved. He didn't know where to go, but he couldn't stay here and wait for something to happen. Either the Cano-Mutants will find him, or the scorching sun will kill him._

_He wobbled as he felt hot under his black uniform. Exile lost track of time and didn't know for how long he was walking. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and dropped his arms as they dangle limp from his shoulders, panting with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth._

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Maybe he should've just told that little voice in the back of his head to shut up and put up with the work, even if it felt like he was working for the wrong side. At least he had food, water, a roof over his head, and a life style that he was good at, even if it felt like he was doing wrong._

_He pulled back on the collar of his uniform, releasing steam from underneath the fabric. He needed to get out of the sun, maybe find some shade where he can rest for a moment, and catch his breath._

_Shielding his eyes from the sun Exile saw up ahead a pleasant sight. There was a rock formation accompanied with some palm trees. The wind coming from that direction brought along the smell of water. Exile couldn't believe his luck._

_He made his way toward the oasis, a relieved smile from ear to ear as he laid his eyes on the water. He stumbled into the shade of the rocks, his energy nearly depleted from the scorching heat and he crawled his way to the water. Hello H2O, how we missed you._

_Lowering his head Exile lapped at the water eagerly, relishing at the cool liquid slithering down his dry throat. Once he had his fill he dipped his hands in the water and splashed his face, feeling renewed as he cleaned his face from the dirt and sand in his fur. He sighed in relief and grinned as he felt a little more refreshed and cleaner. At least as best he could while stuck in the middle of nowhere._

_He made his way back to the rocks and sat in the shadow to cool off for a bit, trying to ponder what his next move would be. He was on the run, with nowhere to go, stuck in a vast desert with no clue in which direction to go. He felt silly, running away all on some dreams and images that have been plaguing his sleeps lately. He tried to make sense out of them now that he had the time to._

_These images always consisted of a team of dogs, a team he subconsciously knows as Road Rovers. The stranger part of it was that he always saw a Siberian Husky in said team, and this Husky looked much like himself. He saw him as a powerful yet gentle dog with a happy-go-lucky attitude. His powers were consistent with his: Super strength, heat vision, ice vision, and even night vision. Not only that, but he was smart. Like himself, he too could build, repair and sabotage anything._

_His fur color, even down to his eyes, Exile couldn't ignore or deny it any more. This Siberian Husky didn't just look like him, he __**was**__ him._

_And then came the ones about the General and of his assistant. The evil plots they were always orchestrating, how he and the Road Rovers always put a stop to them. The man wasn't all there in the head, he was a purely evil man bent on world domination. Thinking back on these images Exile questioned how he ever got into working for him in the first place, given the hatred he felt toward these two humans now._

_These images and dreams, Exile concludes, were more than just dreams. They were memories._

_With a heavy sigh Exile ran his fingers down his face. What the heck happened to him? How did he get into this mess? Stuck in the middle of nowhere, working for the villain, separated from this group of super canines, a group from which he's apparently a part of._

_Hoisting himself up to his feet Exile walked out of the shade and leaned against the rock, looking out at the vast desert. He wondered about these other dogs, the Road Rovers. He had little recollection of them, but somehow, he knew he could trust them, and that they were out there looking for him._

_Exile decided it was time to move on. He moved away from the oasis and slowly made his way up a hill, hoping that the elevated view would give him a better panoramic view of the desert to give him a better idea on where to go._

_Once after ascending the hill a shot just barely missed Exile's head after he took a few steps, nearly scaring Exile to death. He spotted two Cano-Mutants riding a motorcycle, one of them wielding a laser blaster. One of the weapons he himself designed and built for them. They found him._

"_They just don't give up," Exile whispered as he stepped back, frantically looking around for any direction to go for cover._

_The Cano-Mutant opened fire on their target, only managing to miss each of their shots as the Husky moved about. Exile dodge rolled and returned fire with his heat vision, blowing out the motorcycle's tire. He had to hold himself back from chuckling through his smug smirk as his assault launched the Cano-Mutants airborne and face plant into the sand._

_Exile's amusement was short-lived however when he noticed more of them coming. He growled as he stepped back as a group of them launched themselves at him from their motorcycles. He held his fists up as they came at him._

"_Get away from me!" he snarled at them as he ducked and dodged their swings, leaving themselves open to Exile's own fists. His powerful fists connected their faces, their guts taking well-thrown kicks._

_One or two kept their distance and shot him with their blasters, but they were quickly dealt with with Exile's ice vision._

_Despite flooring a few of the mutants more came, and soon he saw himself surrounded. Exile kept his guard up as he slowly turned in place, attempting to keep all of them in his sights. He gritted his teeth, wondering just how much worse this could possibly get. And then..._

"_Aaaahh!" Exile held his head. Massive pain erupted in his cranium, like an electric shock having its way with his head. His vision blurred, his composure instantly gone and his whole body went numb. He didn't even felt the Cano-Mutant that struck him upside the head with such violent force it threw him back and rolled down the hill he previously scaled._

_He rolled down near the oasis and settled on his stomach. He couldn't feel the hot sand under him – or the blood rolling down the side of his head – as he lied on the sand, blind and borderline catatonic. He was sure as dead at this point._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_...Xi...e..._

_..._

_..._

_...ice...fit...e'd...et it..._

_Exile groaned as he regained his hearing._

_...live...hurt...nasty..._

_...way back...onic Rover..._

_His sight was gradually returning. Through his blurred vision he noticed he was up and moving, but not on his own accord. There was someone else with him, a dog much like himself. Who was he? Friend or foe?_

_..._

_..._

"_Come on, buddy. Help me out here..."_

_..._

_..._

"_Hey!"_

_A few gentle slaps to his cheeks._

"_Come on, bro, this is no time for you to take a nap. I need you to work with me here."_

"_/Who...Who are...You...?/"_

_..._

_..._

_..._

* * *

><p>"And that, as you say, is it, comrades," Exile said as he finished. "I think from there you know the rest."<p>

"Hmmm," Hunter remained sitting on the sand as he allowed his mind to process Exile's story. Judging by his testimony Parvo's latest hide-out was hidden under the sand in the Sahara Desert all this time. "No wonder we couldn't find anything out there, it's been under us all along."

"How awful," Colleen said with a frown as she looked at Exile with concern, softly rubbing the fur on his head to console him. "The things that man must've put you through."

Exile's ear twitched from the touch, but he merely lowered his eyes to the sand and shifted his feet under the sand as he sat.

As she looked at him Colleen noticed Exile's fur color was even more faded than before. The blue fur color was very light, as if they just threw him into a washing machine and added a little too much bleach, fading the color away.

"Using the same place for their schemes not once, but twice," Hunter commented as he rubbed his chin. "Huh, and we usually expect the bad guys to be like lightning and never strike the same place twice. That's pretty daring of Parvo, if you ask me."

"But still a cliché, right 'untie?" Colleen chimed.

"Hah, totally," he chuckled and held a finger up. "If the good guys don't even have a clue on where to find you, then why go through the trouble of moving?"

Blitz would generally agree with that rule, but something didn't seem right when put together with that statement. Yes, they _didn't_ know he was right under them all along, but the keyword there was 'didn't'.

"Hold on a moment, Hunter," Blitz spoke out. "But since Exile escaped, wouldn't dhat mean dhat dhey would know that we know where their hide-out is from him?"

Hunter opened his mouth to answer, but immediately closed it without uttering a word. Blitz was right. It would make sense for them to move camp if their prisoner, someone who had an idea where their base was, escaped from their clutches. After all, he could tell his friends and they would dive straight into their base in droves for revenge.

"No, I do not think so," Exile was the one to speak out. "I think…No, I _know_ he is still there. Whatever is they are planning, I think it's too big and important for them to move just like that."

"Besides," he added as he remembered something. That look the Groomer gave him when they came face to face in that research facility a couple of days ago. "I think they actually thought I was gone for good. Even if I got away, they thought I was not alive anymore to tell."

"Then it's settled," Hunter smirked as he went up to his feet before slamming his fist in his hand. "We're going after Parvo, put a stop to his evil plans and get some payback! Turning other dogs into Cano-Mutants is one thing, but messing with one from our own pack is taking it too far!"

"Yah!" Blitz grinned as Hunter's words riled him up. He stood up next to the Retriever and flexed out his long claws, eager to pick a fight with the opposition. "Dhey will rue dhe day dhey ever mess with one of us like dhis and think dhey can get away with it!"

Hunter grinned at what Blitz said and pumped his fist. "Hahah, you said it!"

"You're all quite right," Colleen nodded in agreement as she went up to her feet, patting the sand off her uniform. "We'll make bloomin' sure this'll be the last time Parvo would ever try something like this again. We'll see him behind bars yet, 'gents."

Exile looked at each one of them, noting how riled up they are for the destined confrontation. To stop his conquest for world domination has always been their goal. But this time, this time it's personal. The feeling was mutual. Exile would want nothing more than to find Parvo and make him pay for his evil deeds. For making him work for him, for wiping out his memories and, above all else, afflicting him with _something_ that could be killing him.

"So, what do you say, buddy?" Hunter said to Exile, extending out a hand to him. "You ready to go after Parvo one more time and get some payback?"

Exile looked at Hunter and stared at his extended hand. He furrowed his eyebrows and smirked. He held up his hand and grabbed Hunter's, hoisting him up to his feet with his help. "Oh you bet!"

As Exile got up to his feet the collars around their necks began to beep. Their tags blinked, and instinctively they knew what it meant.

The Master was calling for them.


	10. A Step Further, One Step Under

**Chapter 9: A Step Further, One Step Under**

The Rovers gathered in the briefing room of Mission Control. They stood in a row as the Master spoke to them, all of them curious and eager to know why the Master summoned them to the briefing room. Perhaps an emergency or maybe the Master has new information on Exile's ailments.

"Rovers, there's someone whom I'd like all of you to meet."

They were a little surprised when the Master introduced them to a new face on the team. It wasn't a human but a dog, a Cano-Sapien much like themselves. His fur color was of a sesame color with some white fur on the sides of his muzzle, on his cheeks and neck. His fur looked thick enough to give him good protection from the cold.

_Cool, an Akita Inu_, Hunter concluded, but no pun intended.

"Hello, everyone," the Akita Inu began with a smile as he held his hands behind his back. "My name is Aki; I'm a Road Rover from the Road Rovers Japan Branch. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Hunter blinked as he had to remind himself. A year or so ago the Road Rovers became much bigger as the world grew more aware of them. With bigger trust and requests from the Government and the United Nations – Not to mention a bigger budget – the Master extended the protection of the Road Rovers to different countries of the world to cope with the increasing demand and work force they've been getting.

Today, there were now three Road Rover Mission Controls in the world. There's the America Branch – Hunter and his team's home base, and the original Mission Control – the Japan Branch – Aki and his team's home base – and the Europe Branch.

"From the Japan Branch? Hahah, wow, it's great to meet someone from the other branches again," Hunter said. He smiled and pointed a thumb to his chest. "Name's Hunter," he introduced himself, then motioned his hand to the others. "And this is the rest of the team."

"My name's Colleen," Colleen introduced herself. "Always a pleasure."

Blitz was just about ready to open his mouth to introduce himself, but someone else took the pleasure to do so.

"And this is Blitz, and Shag," Hunter said, motioning his hand to the two of them.

Blitz sighed as he was robbed of the moment. He shrugged his shoulders in retaliation and folded his arms over his chest. He looked at Aki and just said "hi."

Shag let out a content mumble, which could be translated as "pleasured to meet you" or so.

Exile took a step forward to introduce himself. "Welcome, comrade. As for me, my name is-"

"Exile, right?" Aki beat him to the punch, recognizing the Husky anywhere.

"Eh?" Exile was a little more than surprised learning that Aki knows of him. He looked at the others and saw the signs that they too were surprised. Well, at least he can't blame his memory loss this time. "…Uh-huh, that's me," Exile rubbed the back of his neck.

"Wait, you know of him?" Hunter asked the question they all wanted to ask.

Aki nodded in response. "I've heard of him, yes."

Everyone wondered if the news about Exile's dilemma spread to the other two branches. As far as they were aware each branch kept their missions and problems separate, only banding together when there was a crisis that needed all of their combined efforts. Sure, they trade vital information every now and then on a need-to-know basis, but their operations were usually separate.

"Aki's here upon my request, Rovers," Master said, explaining the point of the meeting. "I've gone over the files with him. He'll be assisting me in the lab studying and analyzing Exile's condition and getting to the bottom of this mystery."

Hunter blinked, "You mean, he's here to help us?"

"To help…Me?" Exile pointed at himself.

The Master nodded. "Yes, with his help I'm sure we'll reach a firm conclusion in no time. We'll be able to find out exactly what's wrong with you, Exile. And hopefully discover a possible cure."

The Rovers beamed. Just when things looked grim Lady Luck smiled upon them and gave them a new ray of hope. They knew they could count on the Master to find and develop a cure for Exile eventually, but hearing that he called another Rover for assistance they just _knew_ the wait was just going to be a lot shorter.

"Really? You mean it?" Colleen said, hope shining in her eyes.

Aki nodded in return. "That's right. I've been told quite a bit about Exile's condition and went through the Master's notes. I promise I'll do my best to help a fellow Road Rover in need."

Exile was overwhelmed at seeing the distance his friends are willing to go to save his life. He was at a loss for word that could express his gratitude to them all. He felt every worry and fear just leaving him. He finally felt that spark of hope that he'll survive through this, and return to normal once again. He didn't have anything to fear after all, not with these kinds of friends.

"You hear that, buddy?" Hunter grinned as he wrapped an arm over Exile's shoulders. "Everything's going to be all right! You're in good paws here."

Exile smiled at Hunter, making a little grin as he did. He couldn't begin counting his blessings for having such good friends. "Heheh, I…I really don't know what to say, comrades. But I really am thankful for coming to my help. It is like proverb from Russia." He paused to clear his throat. "_Drug poznayotsa v bede._"

Hunter went on to agree with the saying, enthusiastic about Exile's much improved spirit. No sooner did he opened his mouth to speak he closed it back when he caught himself that he had absolutely no idea what Exile just said. The words were in Russian, and he had no clue how to speak or understand the language. "Could you uhhh…Repeat that in English?"

"Or in Dog?" Blitz added.

Exile shrugged his shoulders and translated. "You get to really know your comrades when trouble comes."

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Colleen said with a warm smile.

"Yeah, it sounds like a good proverb," Hunter pointed out with a nod, agreeing with Colleen.

Exile smiled and nodded. It was a proverb that came to him not too long ago as he sorted through memories of Russian words he knew, and it rather stood out for its meaning. It's true after all, when there's big trouble headed your way you can truly see who your friends are and how they react and watch your back. Exile couldn't ask for better friends; for a better pack to belong to.

"It won't be anything complicated," Aki began to explain what they're going to do with Exile. "We'll be basically running some tests on Exile. Blood work, analysis, examinations, comparing data and studying any changes during the process. Nothing too complex."

Aki paused as he noticed the Rovers wincing and twitching from mentioning each of them. They were all most likely imagining the most terrifying medical procedures they could think of. He arched an eyebrow, not too amused. He understands anything to the equivalent of a doctor's appointment isn't the most pleasant experience in the world. "It won't be anything too bad," he told them. "So please stop doing that."

The Rovers realized what they were doing and immediately recovered. Some of them whistled while throwing their gaze all over the room while the rests held their hands behind their backs, trying to make it look like they didn't do anything out of line.

Aki sighed and rubbed his forehead. "They're just like my team back home."

The Master cleared his throat, intending on pressing on to the most important situation at hand. "If there aren't any more questions, we would like to press forward with this as quickly as possible. Exile, if you wouldn't mind coming with us to the laboratory."

Exile looked back at the other Rovers, hesitating much like a child who just got called into the doctor's office. The Rovers gave their best reassuring smiles and gestures, letting him know that everything is going to be all right.

"It's all right, Exile," Colleen reassured him. "We'll be right with ya."

A nod from the others gave Exile some comfort. He gave as brave a smile as he could and stepped forward, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves as he approached both the Master and Aki. This was it. If anything were to go wrong here he could pretty much say goodbye for good this time. As he got closer he took note of Muzzle, who was never far from the Master's side. He tried again to remember anything about him, but nothing new came up.

Muzzle began to growl, and for a moment Aki thought the Rottweiler was angry with him again, at least until he realized he began to growl the instant Exile was three steps away from him. He wasn't growling at him. He was growling at Exile.

Everyone in the room was taken back by Muzzle's reaction toward him, like he didn't know him. Exile noticed how the Rottweiler's animosity was set at him. His ears lowered and he inched back away from him, refusing to come any closer to the intimidating dog. He wasn't one to scare easily, but there was something about Muzzle that told him to keep his distance.

"Muzzle?" The Master blinked, caught off guard by Muzzle's reaction.

Exile gulped and tried to calm him down himself. "Easy, comrade. It-It's just me, Exile."

That did little to calm him down. Exile flinched and got back when Muzzle began to bark at him like a rabid dog. It startled everyone in the room. Shag jumped to hide behind Blitz, cowering in fright.

"Muzzle!" Hunter ran over to the Rottweiler the instant he began to bark at the Husky. It unnerved them all. Muzzle was always so calm and friendly with them, yet he was reacting as if Exile was a complete strange, barking and snapping at him. Hunter reached him and held him back, trying his best to calm him down. "Down, boy! What's the matter with you? It's Exile, remember? He just looks a little different!"

Colleen was just as shocked. "Blimey, what's gotten into 'im?"

Muzzle stopped barking, but that didn't mean he would stop showing aggression at the Husky. He kept growling at Exile, just one step away from foaming at the mouth. It was something that just surprised everyone.

"Maybe he just didn't recognize him with his fur looking like it does?" Blitz said as he kept his distance. Even after all this time he still wouldn't dare getting near the Rottweiler when he's this riled up.

Aki held his chin as he watched Muzzle's reaction and behavior toward Exile. Muzzle wasn't a Cano-Sapien, but it was just that that made Akita think. In his current state as a regular dog Muzzle must still be sensible to other levels of his senses they themselves must've lost touch on during the Transdogmification process. This could mean a lot of things. He could probably just sense Exile's degraded canine strands in his DNA, making him 'feel' less of a dog than usual to him, or something else entirely.

"Interesting…" Aki made a mental note of it. This outburst could mean something.

Muzzle's reaction toward him only made Exile feel worse. He felt that slowly he was losing touch on himself, on who he was, and Muzzle was already seeing him like a total stranger. It hurt him; he wanted this nightmare to end already.

"Please, let's just get this over with," Exile pleaded to the Master. "I want to be feeling better again and to remember everything. I want to get better!"

The Master saw the hurt and plea in the Husky's eyes and nodded. He has a point. Best to make haste. "Of course. Please, right this way, Exile."

Exile gulped and followed the Master out of the briefing room. He looked back to the Rovers one more time before leaving the room. He saw Muzzle looking at him, still growling while Hunter held him back. It stung, seeing a supposed friend react in such a way toward him.

Before he left to join them Aki asked one question to the Rovers. "Muzzle, was it? Does he behave like this often?"

Hunter looked at Muzzle and rubbed his head, finally getting him to stop growling. "No way! I mean, he can be pretty wild when let loose, but he's always so well-behaved."

Blitz's brows burrowed. "Well-behaved? He's crazy! A loose cannon and a total hot-head! He'll bite dhe head off of anyone."

"Not with us he does," Colleen countered, giving Blitz a look that made the Doberman inched back in fright.

"Hmmm," Aki hummed as he held his chin. He shook his head. "Anyway, I'm sure it's nothing. Muzzle probably didn't recognize him or felt something was off and freaked out a little. He kind of gave me the same welcome too, before the Master calmed him down."

"As for Exile," Aki continued. "We'll do everything we can to help. I may not look it, but you could say I'm the brains on my team back in Japan. Everyone there calls me 'Braniac' or 'Brains,' I'll do my best to help Master with Exile's condition. You have my word."

Aki held out his hand to the Rovers. Hunter looked at Aki and smiled, recognizing the Akita Inu's desire to help one of their own. He's proud that the Road Rovers are full of team mates who care for each other, willing to reach out and help one another. He couldn't fully express the gratitude for that. Hunter reached out and grabbed Aki's hand, sealing the hand shake. "He's in your capable paws, buddy. We trust you. Help Master as best you can."

Aki smile and nodded. "I will. I promise."

And with that Aki took his leave. Now the Rovers had nothing to do but wait. Wait for the good news. Wait for the bad news. Wait for something else to happen.

They prayed Exile would be okay, that everything would turn out fine in the end. They knew they could count on the Master to come through for them. And this Rover from the Japan branch, Aki, certainly looked capable enough to lend a competent paw to the cause. They just had to wait and see for the results.

Hunter sighed and turned to the remaining team. "All right, Rovers. While we wait let's take a look at that desert with the Rover Satellite and find ourselves a hidden base."

According to Exile he escaped from Parvo's hide-out from right under the sand in the Sahara Desert. Somehow Parvo got his base built right under the Sahara, and used the strategic location to avert the Rover's eyes and dognap one of their own from right under their noses. Hunter will give Parvo some credit. That was some smart thinking on his part. And it annoyed him how well it worked.

They just had one thing to do: find where exactly in the desert this base is hidden, and how to get in there and catch them.

Hunter blinked as he stared at the main computers in Mission Control. He was always impressed at how big the computers' monitors were and how handy they were when it came to display maps of the world and cities. But no matter how many times he's seen the Master use them he could never figure out how to even turn them on, let alone use them to find, say, a hidden base in the middle of a desert.

"Do you know how to work this thing?" Hunter asked as he leaned over a seat, watching Colleen take a seat in front of the computers.

"Sort of," Colleen replied as she cracked her fingers.

Hunter was immediately surprised as Colleen's fingers began to work on the keyboard, furiously tapping and typing away at the keys. With no effort from the Collie the computers were already booting up and loading the programs for the Rover Satellite, getting them ready to sweep over the perimeter of the Sahara Desert to begin the search.

"Whoa-ho!" Hunter exclaimed in shock as his eyes were just on the Collie as she worked. "You call that a 'sort of'? Colleen, that's amazing!"

"It's really not that hard, 'untie," Colleen said with a smile. "You just gotta learn a few little things and away you go."

Hunter was in awe. "Whoa, you really gotta teach us how to use these."

"I'd be happy to, 'unter. But right now, how about we focus on finding our good friend Parvo 'ere, shall we?"

Hunter shook off the initial shock and nodded, burrowing his brows as he allowed Colleen to get to work. "Right."

"I'll be loading up some other data we can look into. You don't mind taking care of 'em, do ya, Blitz?"

Blitz, who was half-listening to the conversation, overheard and jumped when he heard Colleen actually referring to him with his actual name. No mistakes, no misspelling, just his actual name. He perked and beamed with a wide smile. To say he wasn't happy about this would be lying. "Hey! You actually said my name!"

"Did I?" Colleen paused for a second to recap what she just said. "Huh, imagine that. Anyway, be a dear and go through them, would ya, Blister?"

The Doberman flinched and dropped his shoulders. A sigh of defeat came from his muzzle, not at all surprised she didn't get her name right the second time. The first time was probably pure luck. "Okay..."

Blitz marched himself to the remaining monitors to get to work on his share of the load. Shag followed him, pulling out a map and pencil from his fur coat to take notes of any discoveries and information they could use. Hunter took note of Shag's initiative and smiled. "Huh, good thinking, Shag."

Shag barked, appreciating the compliment from their and went straight to work. Hunter turned around and set his eyes on the monitor as Colleen began to work.

He watched as the monitor began showing the Sahara Desert. Good, the Rover Satellite is already in position. As Hunter looked on Colleen began limiting the searching perimeter according to the data from their last mission there. From the satellite's point of view Hunter could already recognize the spot where they parked the Sonic Rover, the spot where they were attacked by the Cano-Mutants, and of course the spot where he found Exile.

The imagery was a little too nostalgic for Hunter's taste. He could already see himself riding the Cycle Rover through the terrain, the scorching hot sun beaming down on them. He winced and tried to forget how he felt when he heard that loud booming explosion, followed by finding Exile's Cycle Rover totaled, and Exile himself missing.

Before Hunter knew it the monitor was full of many windows, some that show maps and pictures of the desert, and others showing graphs and programs running that Hunter couldn't decipher. Needless to say he was a little lost.

"Say, Colleen?" Hunter began as he glanced at Colleen. "Exactly what are you doing here? You kind of lost me already."

Colleen didn't pause from her work as she answered. "I'm preparing the Rover Satellite to take a closer look of the desert. It's a big place, after all, so it won't be easy."

"Think you can narrow it down to that rock formation you just passed? That's around where I found Exile."

"Already done. We'll take that spot as the center of our search perimeter and work our way out from there."

Hunter rubbed his chin. "Sounds good. But you know we won't get anywhere just by looking at the surface. We gotta get our eyes way in there under the sand."

"I'm way ahead of you, 'untie. I'm already working on that."

"Really? How?"

"I think the Rover Satellite has quite a few radars we can use. If I remember right one of them could see things underground. That's how the Master helped us find that bloomin' underground oil well on our last mission."

"Oh yeah, I remember that mission." Hunter couldn't help but grin. "That was so much fun. So much digging! I loved it! ...Well, except for the part where we got covered in oil. That stuff reeks!"

Colleen's face distorted in disgust as she remembers. "Don't remind me."

Hunter giggled. The conversation died down after as Colleen continued her work. Hunter glanced at Blitz and Shag for a moment, curious by what progress they may have done with their side of the work load.

"Say, 'untie," Colleen began after the silence. "What do you reckon' got into Muzzle that got him so aggressive toward Exile?"

"I don't know," Hunter replied. "But Aki did say he probably didn't recognize him. I mean, you did see how Exile looked, right? He kind of looked terrible, and his fur color was going away. I don't think you'd even recognize him either at first if you saw him like that."

"Maybe, but I don't know. It's one thing not to recognize 'im, but to bark and growl at 'im like that? It was awful."

"I know, but what else could it be?"

"And poor Exile. Did you see how sad and scared he was? I've never seen 'im like that since that incident with the werewolves."

"Werewolves?" It took Hunter a second before he remembered. "Oh yeah! The Werewolf Incident back in London! I remember that. Exile totally freaked out and worried when he thought he got turned into a werewolf. He was so scared that he would end up hurting us. But, it turned out he _wasn't_ a werewolf. He was so relieved!"

"Yup," Colleen nodded. "He really dodged a bullet there. Of course, I was the bloomin' werewolf to begin with."

Hunter flinched as he remembered that. Right. Exile wasn't the werewolf, it was Colleen all along. She didn't have any recollection of it, at least until he and the rest of the Rovers told her and showed her evidence of the claw marks all over Mission Control, including the one behind Exile's door.

"The Werewolf Queen, at that."

Colleen gave Hunter a playful look. "You tryin' to flatter me?"

Hunter blushed. "Just putting it out there."

"Right," Colleen gave him an amused look before going back to work. "But anyway, right now he's in kind of a similar situation, but instead of being worried about being a werewolf he's worried that he's…Dying."

Hunter's eyes lowered, his hands slowly curling into fists. He still hasn't forgotten that little scare on the way back home from their last mission.

Colleen paused from her work and looked at Hunter. "What do you reckon' Parvo did to 'im?"

Hunter's eyes shot back up to Colleen. He gave a quick thought to the question before answering, "Easy, genetic experimentation of some kind. Exile mentioned a tank, right? Those things are kind of always involved in that kind of stuff. I mean, what else could it be?"

"Maybe," Colleen said. "But didn't Master say there weren't any mutations in his genetics? How can that be if there was any genetic experimentation on 'im?"

Hunter shrugged. He didn't have the first clue how science worked. The explanations they give usually gives him a headache, no matter how hard he tried to understand. He pretty much gave up on that and just let the Master handle the complicated stuff.

But what she said was true. The Master _did_ say there weren't any mutations or alterations to Exile's genetics. That's a clear contradiction to what he believes happened. So then, what really happened? Hunter would like to know and hoped the Master could enlighten them soon.

"Anyway," Colleen resumed with her work on the computer. "I do hope the Master and this Aki fella' can help 'im. I would really love to put all this bloomin' worry behind me and have everything back to normal."

"Hey, everything's going to be just fine, Colleen," Hunter said, placing a hand on Colleen's shoulder. "I'm sure of it. I mean, when has the Master ever let us down? I'm sure he's in his lab right now with Exile hard at work looking for a cure. And with this Aki guy's help, I'm sure they'll be done in no time!"

Colleen smiled at Hunter's positive outlook on the situation. She knew deep down he was just as scared and worried as they all were, but his upbeat and positive front gave them all hope and eased their worries. That's just how the leader of the pack always is. They knew they could count on him to keep their spirits up.

"You'll see," he winked at her with a smile. "By the time we finish here and see Exile again he'll be good as new and ready to get back at Parvo for this. We'll be a team again!"

"You're abso-bloomin'-lutely right, 'untie. We can't give up hope just yet. Everything's goin' to be just fine."

"Of course they will! Exile's going to pull through, and Parvo's going down!"

"Not until we find that base," Colleen added as she stopped typing and took a hard look at the monitor. She nodded to herself as a few responding beeps came from the computer. "I got the radar up and runnin', but it'll take a while before the Rover Satellite finds what we're looking for."

Hunter looked at the monitor as he watched the Satellite do its search over the perimeter. He had little idea at what he's staring at, but he'll assume the Satellite's doing a thorough job of scanning the soil, both above and underground.

"Cool," Hunter said as he looked back at Colleen. "In the mean time I'm gonna go see how Blitz and Shag are doing. Let me know if and when the Satellite finds anything."

Colleen nodded. "Sure thing."

With a smile Hunter departed from Colleen's side. He took a moment to rub his eyes, let out a yawn and out a heavy sigh. He hasn't slept at all since they returned from the research facility, none of them could. His thoughts went back to Exile as he wondered how he was doing. Were things going well with the Master? Was Aki being a good enough help to cure him? It made him feel awful that there was nothing he could do other than sit back and wait.

Tossing those thoughts aside for the moment Hunter went to the other monitors just a few steps away. There he saw Blitz hunched over in his seat, his chin on his hands as he stared his eyes out to the screens. He was lost in the sea of data displayed onscreen, and Hunter wouldn't be surprised if the Doberman had little to no idea on what to do, or what to look for. He moved to sit on the seat to Blitz's right, and as he made his move he noticed how little attention Blitz paid to him. Whether he was too absorbed in his work or just plain out ignored him was a little hard to tell.

Hunter picked something to say, even if he already had an idea of what the answer might be. "How's it going on your end over here, Blitz?"

It took Blitz a second to register his question before responding. "Huh? Oh, oh it's ummm…Great, I think."

Hunter chuckled. "Heheh. Great, you think?"

"Well, no. I don't even know where to start here! Dhere are just so many things to go through. If you really think I'm gonna go through every little thing in here, you got another thing coming!"

"Relax, Blitz, you got me to help. Now, let's see what we got here." Hunter took a good look at the data they have to work with. Hundreds – Perhaps even thousands or up to a million – of satellite images were being displayed onscreen. Folders and dividers separated and organized them into dates, times, and world regions for easy browsing. Being common sense and the first thing you should do, only the images of the Sahara Desert were open.

For the most part Blitz already did the initial work and just begun sorting through the images starting from two weeks ago. Now it was all a matter of going through them all up until today. But Blitz was right. There's just so much data to go through with just two weeks worth alone.

"Well, from the look of things, it looks like the Master already did half of the work, see?" Hunter said as he pointed out to a separate folder sitting all by its lonesome in a corner. "He must've been doing the same thing when Exile was missing."

Blitz nodded. "Yah, so we just have to go over the things he _didn't_ touch, which is still a lot."

"Maybe, but we gotta do it. Come on, I'll help you through 'em."

Blitz rolled his eyes. "My hero."

The two of them worked together to sort through the satellite images. Hunter tried to find some fun out of the monotonous work by trying to make it look like they were sorting through the many pieces of a poster-sized puzzle of the desert, trying to find the corner pieces.

Shag would every now and then check if there was anything new to add to the notes. "No," was one answer. "No," was the next. "No," again, and "no" again. Eventually Shag gave up and just lied on the floor making doodles in his notepad.

Back with the pictures there was nothing out of the ordinary as they went through them all one by one, nothing but sand and emptiness. Rarely would they find something in the many images, but they were always wildlife or random travelers or locals traversing through the harsh desert. Hunter would try to make a joke or caption about them as they see them, but the punch lines were usually lost on Blitz.

"Hunter?" Blitz interrupted Hunter in the middle of another one of his jokes.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Well, I've been thinking…"

"About what?"

Blitz looked at Hunter. "About dhe time we went to the desert, where Exile went missing."

"Oh." Hunter found himself avoiding eye contact with the Doberman by the mere mention of 'that' mission. "What about it…?"

"About if things would've been different if I was out dhere too."

Hunter's eyes darted back to Blitz. "W-What do you mean?"

"Think about it. I made a big deal about me not going out dhere in the hot sun searching the desert. I practically pushed away my duty just to sit back in the Turbojet to keep myself out of the sun to protect my perfect skin."

Hunter had to resist rolling his eyes at that last statement. He wouldn't admit it in his face, but Hunter wasn't planning on letting Blitz out on the field with them in the first place. His idea from the start was going into the desert with Exile and Colleen while opting to let Blitz and Shag stay in the Turbojet. Blitz's insistence on staying in the Turbojet just kept Hunter away from a guilty conscience.

But Blitz had a point. What if he was there with them? Would it have made a difference?

"Maybe if I was out dhere, Exile wouldn't be in dhis mess," Blitz continued, his eyes sinking to his feet. "Maybe I could've saved him, or it…Or it would've been me instead of him."

"Now hold on there," Hunter held a hand up at Blitz. "Maybe things _would_ have been different if you were out there with us, but don't go there wishing it would've been you instead of him. Let's not get into that, all right?"

"The way I see it we all kind of screwed up," Hunter turned the seat around to face Blitz. "Maybe I shouldn't have decided to make all of us go alone. Maybe you being there would've helped. And maybe we weren't careful enough. But what's done is done; we can't change anything by wishing and hoping. But we got Exile back, and that's the important thing now, right?"

Blitz sighed as he rubbed his head. "Yah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am," Hunter said, giving off a smile. "So don't worry yourself too much about that. Now, what we really should be doing is finding that hidden base and stop Parvo's latest scheme, for the world's and Exile's sake. That sounds good to you, right?"

Blitz perked and looked at Hunter. The thought of getting some payback on Parvo and his Cano-Mutants for what they did sound good to him. Blitz was always eager to roll whenever Parvo was involved, as that usually meant Cano-Mutants to fight. But right now, after what Parvo and Groomer did to one of his friends, he's now more eager than ever to get out there and sink his teeth into them. He wasn't going to back out from this one.

"You're darn right dhat sounds good!" Blitz said as he slammed his fist into his open palm. "I can't wait to find dhat base and commence dhe biting of the tooshies! Parvo has got dhis coming for a long time, but dhis time it's no more mister nice doggie."

"Hahah, all right," Hunter agreed with a smirk. "Now, how about we find that hidden base?"

"Yah," Blitz nodded in agreement. "But I promise. Next time I won't be selfish and stay behind. Next time, if one of our team mates needs help, I'll be dhere."

Hunter smiled, approving of Blitz's mindset. "Hey, that sounds good. More power to ya, buddy!"

With that said Blitz turned his seat back to face the computer monitor, returning his eyes on the photo they were looking at a moment ago. His eyes set on a specific spot in the photo, just as if he was called to look there. He almost immediately spotted something that looked off a few seconds later.

"Hey," Blitz said as he pointed to the spot in the photo. "Look dhere. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Hunter looked closer at the spot in the photo. What appears to be an out-of-place black dot in the middle of the sand next to a rock formation turned out to be an object in shape of a square, the texture of it looked like it was something made of metal.

"What is that?" Hunter zoomed on the photo over the thing. "It kind of looks like a…Like a machine or something?"

"Eureka!"

Hunter and Blitz were startled from Colleen's outburst. They looked at each other for an instant before turning their attentions to Colleen, who was at the moment sporting a very satisfied smile and gesturing to the boys to come over. Without wasting another second the boys jumped from their seats and made their way back to Colleen, eager to see what Colleen found that had her so pleased with herself.

"What did you find?" Hunter asked as he stood to Colleen's right.

Colleen smiled and held her hand to the monitors and said, "Pretty much everythin'."

All eyes were moved to the computer screen. There was a bunch of data on display, from thermal scans to up-close zooms of certain areas of the desert. One window in the monitor came up and downloaded data from a recently finished scan. What they saw was nothing short of awesome.

"Whoa…!" The boys were in awe.

"It wasn't easy," Colleen said. "I had to practically force the poor machine into its highest sensitivity setting and at full power. I think I almost bloomin' broke the poor thing finding this."

What displayed onscreen was the result of ground-penetrating radar and thermal imaging. The data was little, but it displayed what appears to be a hidden underground facility. Some heat-sources made it clear there were people underground, confirming the suspicion. Another window soon came up and displayed more data, resulting in a very rough but incomplete outline of the supposed facility hidden underground. _We found it_, Hunter thought

"This is it," Hunter exclaimed with a big grin on his face. "This is it, Rovers! Haha, we found it!"

The Rovers all jumped and cheered as their search paid off. Parvo's hidden base has just been found, hiding under the Sahara Desert's abundant sand all along, away from prying eyes. At last, the search is over.

"Now we can go after Parvo," Colleen said in triumph.

"Yah," Blitz clenched his fists and growled, "and give 'em dhe most painful bite in dhe tooshie that they deserve!"

"Think you can print that?" Hunter asked.

"I already did you one better, 'untie. I uploaded the data into our PDAs."

"Really?" Hunter reached to his belt and pulled out the PDA they were all equipped with. Scrolling through data he found that Colleen actually did sent the location to the desert's map in their devices. He smiled. "Oh you're too cool, Colleen!"

He toyed with the data. One layer showed a black and white outline of the base, another showed a half-opacity image of the Sahara Desert over the base's layout, giving them a rough estimate of where it could be hidden under in the region. It was the best they had on short notice.

He moved his eyes away from his PDA to the other monitor for just one second, something catching his eyes. He looked back at the satellite image he and Blitz were eyeing a moment ago, once again taking note of the strange metallic…thing in the desert near a very distinct rock formation. Connecting the dots Hunter looked back at the map in his PDA, playing a game of 'Where's Waldo?' with the rock formation. He found what he was looking for, and it matched perfectly with the map of the hidden base.

"Whoa…" Then it hit him. The metallic object was an entrance to Parvo's hide-out, capable of hiding under the sand, only popping out when they need to get in or out. They now have a point of access to get inside. It was good news all around. Now the only thing missing to make it all perfect was…

"Hm?"

"Huh?"

A faint pulsing light startled them, the low beeps coming from around their necks. Speak of the devil. Their collars were blinking, emitting a faint light. The Master was calling them, and that could only mean one thing…

"Exile," Hunter whispered, grasping his tag. Finally, after so many hours, they were gonna be a complete team again. He turned back to the team, all of them up from their seats looking at their leader. "Everyone ready?"

Everyone nodded. "Yes, let's go and see," Colleen said.

"Right," Hunter nodded.

The team then left the computer room and made haste back to the medical ward. With every step they took Hunter could barely keep his excitement. He trusted the Master; he knew if anyone could find a way to help him, it would be him. They'll see, when they walk through those doors Exile will be livelier than ever, in perfect health and more than willing to join them on the field again and fight the opposition.

"You think dhey really cured him?" Blitz asked.

"The Master wouldn't have called us if they didn't," Hunter responded, never slowing his steps. "Just you wait, Exile's gonna be good as new!"

"I hope so, 'untie. It would be nice to see Exile back to his usual self again," Colleen said.

"He will be after today, Colleen. I'm sure of it."

"You seem to be really sure dhat he is," Blitz said, a bit surprised by Hunter's unwavering optimism.

"Well, yeah! I mean, he's the Master! He can do anything when he sets his mind to it," Hunter answered. "Now, less talky, more runny. The sooner we get to the Medical Ward the sooner we can get out of all this tension."

The doors leading to the Medical Ward were just within their sights. Each of them took a deep breath and through the doors they went. The room inside was nothing short of familiar, having just been in there hours ago themselves.

"You called us, Master?" Just when Hunter asked he witnessed one of the doors to medical machines opened up. From inside someone stepped out, stripped from the waist up of his armor, just catching him coming out from a recent examination.

Exile leaned against the wall, feeling weak and dizzy. He brought his head up and lazily opened his eyes, seeing the others just coming in as he was just coming out of another body scan.

Hunter's eyes widened in horror, his gasp caught in his throat. He wasn't staring at a healthy Exile, full of life and ready for another mission. He was looking at a tired and weak husky, seemingly out of breath again and, unbelievably, his blue fur almost as white as snow.

He looked so different Hunter wasn't even sure if they were staring at Exile at all.


	11. The Klónos Project

**Chapter 10: The Klónos Project**

"What is that?"

Aki held his elbow in one hand, holding his chin up with the other as he stared at the monitor. During most of their examinations and treatments Exile has been complaining about a headache, which according to him has been bothering him ever since he woke up from his coma three days ago. Coming and going.

Aki has been a big help for the Master during this whole examination. His intelligence has been a great asset, and thanks to him he's been noticing the little things he has missed, gathered additional information to revise his notes, and managed to discard some theories from his list.

But even so, their findings were leading him down to the one theory he was afraid of. Many discussions with the Akita Inu just grounded his theory rather than hinder it. They had the data to back it up, the observations, and Exile's health was just deteriorating by the minute.

They were both shocked when Exile's fur color kept fading to an almost pure white as the hours passed, just a hint of blue there to still tell how his fur color used to be.

The findings were solid, and there was nothing more they could do. After the fourth hour the Master called the rest of the Rovers to the Medical Ward, with much heartache preparing himself to discuss everything with them, with Exile.

Now, after Exile complained again about his head, they decided to run him through a CT scan to figure out once and for all the causes of these headaches.

"It looks like something implanted directly onto his brain," the Master said, studying the images of the scan. "Like a chip or something. See its square-shape there?"

"Unbelievable. Parvo really is such a sinister man," Aki huffed. His brow burrowed as he studied the images. "I'm gonna have a closer look at this, see if I can figure out what kind of chip we're dealing with here."

"I'll transfer the data to the main computer," the Master offered, typing and pressing a few buttons on the machine. "Exile? You can step out now."

Exile's ears twitched from inside the machine as he heard him. He propped himself up on his elbows as the bench he was lying on began to move, moving him out from within the scanning machine. He sat up once his head was clear and moved, sitting by the edge as he collected himself.

He looked at the fur on his chest, then the fur on his arms and his tail last. He frowned as he did, his ears lowering at the sight of his bleaching fur. Resting his elbows on his knees he let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his tired eyes. What's happening to him? His body feels like it's falling apart. He felt weak, dizzy, a little sick to his stomach, and the headache just made him want to tear into his skull.

He grumbled as he pulled himself to his feet. He wobbled a little, placed his hand on the wall to keep him standing and moved to the door. He only stopped when he caught the window in the corner of his eye. He turned to it and saw the rest of the Medical Ward beyond it, catching the sight of the Master and Aki by one of the computers going over the data. They haven't told him anything about their findings, but judging by the look on their faces and some of their reactions it wasn't all good.

Exile huffed. They knew something, but they couldn't bring themselves to talk to him, much less tell him.

Exile stepped toward the door and walked out as it slid open. He paused; leaning against the wall as he almost fell from the dizziness. He opened his eyes and was caught by surprise to see the rest of the pack in the Medical Ward staring at him. The horror and shock on their faces made it clear to him that they too expected him to be better, or at least still have his fur color intact.

He gave a half-hearted smile and lazily held up a hand and greeted them. "Hey, comrades. Liking my uhhh…New look?"

"E-Exile…?" Colleen stammered, trying to shake off the shock.

"Uh-huh, it's me."

Colleen stepped forward to the Husky, running her hand through his fur as if hoping a simple brush would revive the color. "My goodness, you're lookin' much worse than before!"

Hunter remained rooted in his spot along with Blitz and Shag. His stomach churned, his mouth was dry as his heart felt like one big lump of lead. Everything, every last shred of hope and optimism he had just shattered and flew out the window. He was so sure the Master would find a cure for him by now, anything that would help him. Why then? Why would he call them in if he didn't cure him? Unless…

"Rovers…"

The group turned their heads to the Master, approaching them with a pitiful look; the face one would see from a doctor coming to inform the family the bad news over their loved one's fate.

The team looked at each other, waiting for one of them to make the move. Hunter was the one to come forth, trying to find his voice back to finally ask and get to the bottom of all this. "Master...What's going on? What happened?"

The Master frowned. He looked back to the computer where Aki was sitting going over the data for the fourth time today, seeing if they missed something that could turn this all around. Maybe they forgot to carry the 1, or they misplaced a decimal point.

"Where to begin," the Master mused. His eyes met Aki's, the Akita Inu giving a look as if asking if he's sure about their findings.

"Exile's condition…Is worse than we thought," the Master began with a sigh, rubbing his tired eyes.

The Rovers tensed from the news. No one said a word, their gaze glued to the Master. One or two glanced at Exile's direction, his whitening fur a clear reminder of a simple assignment gone wrong on multiple accounts. Exile's eyes wouldn't leave the Master's form, the worry and fear clearly evident on his face as he twiddled his fingers a bit. Colleen's hands wrapped tighter around Exile's right arm, trying to give the Husky some comfort. Hunter would try to say something, but he was at a loss for words.

"How worse do you mean…?" Surprisingly it was Blitz who asked this time.

"I'll explain," the Master continued, picking a spot on where to begin. "As you're all aware by now, Exile's blue fur has faded into white. As you all know, other than growing with age, such a phenomenon shouldn't be possible, especially at his age. However, as you all can clearly see, Exile's fur _is_ bleaching into pure white."

"That was somethin' I noticed the morning after Exile woke up," Colleen said, remembering the time she noticed something strange to Exile's fur that morning. It was then when it hit her. "I didn't think much of it then until yesterday after our mission. If only I've mentioned it sooner…"

Shag whimpered and patted her shoulder to comfort her. Exile frowned, his heart lifting a bit to hear how much they all indeed care about him, but the guilt of how much worry he's inflicting on them all weighs him down.

"Colleen…" Hunter whispered.

The Master went on. "The genes that give Exile his fur color are decomposing. Little by little they're breaking up and dissolving, and as Exile's fur sheds the color to it slowly fades away. Eventually Exile's fur is going to lose its color completely, and become a colorless snow white."

Exile looked down at his bare chest, his arms, felt the fur on his face with his hands. His blue fur, one of the things that identified him, is going to be lost in due time. Granted having fur color that's white as snow isn't so bad – It can actually be a beautiful fur color – but he grew to love the unique blue fur coat of his. He wouldn't know what he would do if he lost it.

"My fur color," Exile spoke, lifting his eyes back to the Master, "is going to just go away? Just like that?"

The Master grimly nodded. "Unfortunately, that's not the only thing. Your DNA as well is at risk of dissolving."

Hunter remembered something, and put two and two together. "The…problem with the Transdogmafier?"

"Yes. Rovers, Exile's DNA is…Breaking apart. When the Transdogmafier didn't work, it was due to the fact that the dog prints in his DNA have been completely wiped out. There's no trace of them left for the Transdogmafier to turn him back into his normal dog form."

Colleen gasped in shock. Hunter and Blitz trembled in horror. Shag yelped in terror. Exile merely stood like a statue, barely even blinking as he felt paralyzed from his ears down. For them, that was just psycho, a terrible crime with no redemption, period. For Exile to not be able to be turned back into a normal dog…Was he even a dog anymore without such a vital part of who they were?

"This goes hand in hand with Exile's breathing problem," the Master continued. "As I've said before, Exile's red blood cells are behaving erratically. But that was only what we could see on the surface. Further analysis show that not only his red blood cell levels were slowly lowering, but also his white blood cells as well."

"White blood cells?" Hunter didn't like where this was going. Didn't like it at all.

"Yes. White blood cells are part of our immune system, the cells that protect our bodies from diseases and keep us all from falling ill. The analyses show that Exile's losing white blood cells by the hour. His immune system is failing. Should his immune system fail and shut down Exile would be completely vulnerable to even the basics of diseases and infections. Even a simple cold could be lethal for him."

"But," the Master went on. "More importantly is his diminishing red blood cells count. Should they keep lowering Exile will not only continue to have breathing problems, but they'll continue to worsen. The nutrients and oxygen he'll need to survive won't be able to course throughout his body, and…" The Master sighed, fighting to just continue to share their findings. "Well, it'd be the end for him."

The Rovers couldn't believe it. None of them spoke after the Master finished. The information was all too much to bear. Their bodies felt like lead, firmly rooted to their spots, unable to move or breathe. Exile felt himself falling into despair. His head slowly shook and his legs finally gave out. His knees slowly bent and his body slowly lowered until finally he fell to the ground to sit, unable to keep himself standing. He felt empty, unable to feel or care anymore. That of course didn't stop his eyes from leaking.

"Oh, Exile…" Colleen whispered as she knelt down to the devastated Husky, holding back her own tears as she held his head against her chest in an attempt to comfort him.

Hunter's body shook as he looked at the broken Rover, witnessing one of his best friends literarily dying a slow death in front of him. This was too much. Parvo didn't just brainwash him, he tore Exile apart.

Flashbacks of that faithful assignment came back to the Retriever, his foolish decision to send them all alone in the vast desert for a simple recon assignment, leaving them without any source of immediate backup should things have gotten wrong. Guilt and regret quickly gripped his heart like a Venus Flytrap.

Hunter's eyes went to the rest of the team. Exile wasn't moving from his spot, not even a muscle or a flick of his tail. Colleen was just as upset trying to console the Husky. Shag was a whimpering mess, passing off handkerchiefs to dry all the eyes in the room. Even Muzzle, who apparently didn't like Exile a few hours ago, was whimpering and obviously upset about what's going on. He might've found something off with Exile that made him growl and bark at him, but he understood how terrible it was to hear that someone among them was dying.

Blitz himself just stood there, his arms folded over his chest with his eyes gazing down to the floor. He was as much of a statue about the news as anyone else. He didn't know what to say or do. Hunter mused he must be thinking about their conversation back at the computer room, how all of this could've been different if he was out there with them. Hunter's hands gripped tightly into fists, his body shaking with anger.

"There has to be a cure!" Hunter cried, turning his eyes back to the Master. "There has to be a way to fix this, right? Anything to reverse what Parvo did to him! We can't just give up! Not now!"

All eyes went on Hunter. His body was trembling, a mix of sadness and rage coursed through his veins. He refused to give in, throw his hands in the air and declare Exile for dead. There just had to be a way to save him, anything, no matter the cost. "Please, Master, there's gotta be a way!"

"There…There isn't…"

Hunter moved his gaze behind the Master to where Aki was sitting silently all this time. To say he was shocked from what Aki said was nothing short of an understatement.

"What?" Blitz asked, not wanting to hear such a thing. "What do you mean dhere isn't a cure?"

Aki saw the look Hunter was giving him and picked his next words carefully. "I mean, there's nothing actually here _to_ cure. There's no poison or chemical, or even an inhibitor that's causing his body to stop reproducing the cells."

Hunter didn't get it. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that Exile's degradation isn't being caused by anything. It's actually a natural phenomenon his body is going through."

Everyone turned their heads to the overseas Rover. A natural phenomenon? That's absurd. How can what Exile's currently going through be something natural? Growing up is natural. Eating and sleeping is natural. But this? A slow death where you can choke to death or perish by a sudden disease at any given moment? No, this is not natural. It's…The Rovers don't even know what to call it.

"Explain yourself, comrade," Exile spoke, snapping out of his shock. "I…I want to know everything."

Aki nodded. "What the Master's been telling you all is true. But, there are other things that say Exile's condition wasn't caused by chemicals or toxins. Remember the body age theory Master told you all about?"

It was such a little nugget of information that they all simply forgot amidst all of what's going on. Yes, now that they think of it, they do remember the Master mentioning something about his body age when he examined Exile for any abnormalities in his body. It's a type of body measure that's done by measuring variables such as the nutrients in your body and other factors. The Rovers looked at each other to make sure if they all remembered this. They exchanged nods.

"Perfect," Aki said, satisfied that they all know. "Well, the body age thing actually runs a bit deeper. A closer physical evaluation gave us some shocking revelations. We came to notice that Exile's too healthy for his age, or should I say a little underdeveloped."

"Underdeveloped?" Hunter raised an eyebrow.

"For instance, Exile's claws." Aki pointed a finger to Exile, his hands precisely. Exile looked down, brought his hands up and flexed out his claws as the Rovers huddled around him.

"When a puppy's born their claws are normally white. As they grow older their claws darken, eventually becoming black as they harden over time. Exile's claws feel and look like a fully grown dog's, but their density is comparable to a puppy's claws. Plus, they're white, not black as they should be."

He was right. Now that everyone was closely looking at Exile's claws they _are_ white. Last they checked, whenever they were at the beach or not in their Rover uniforms, his claws were black.

"Not only that," Aki continued. "But Exile's teeth and gums as well. His teeth may have grown and developed to an adult dog's, but there are no traces of yellowing or wears on them. His gums as well, they're pink and colorful. Granted these are all signs of a very healthy dog, but they're absurdly healthy. We were essentially looking at a puppy's dental health, not a grown dog's."

Shag prodded Exile's mouth open to look at his teeth before Exile swatted his hands away from his jaws. To say the Rovers were confused about all this sounds about right. They didn't know how to respond to the findings.

"So according to the numbers and readings, unless Exile's been locked away his whole life without any sunlight or development, he's essentially two weeks old," Aki said, concluding his findings.

"A puppy?" Colleen said. She looked at Exile, who looked back at her with a blink.

Everyone was soon looking at him, as if half-expecting him to shrink into a cute puppy any second now that the word was out. To say the least, Exile was not amused.

"Do I look like a small pup?" Exile asked, sparing them from a snarl.

Hunter shook his head and rubbed his forehead. This was giving him a headache. Too many questions and not enough answers. Aki said this all told them to something that made him believe this was all not just some experimentation gone wrong, that this was all natural. Hunter wanted him to share that conclusion.

"Look, cut to the chase," he said, hungry for answers. "What does this all mean? How can you say Exile's two weeks old?"

Aki looked at the Master. He gave him a grim nod. Aki sighed, bracing himself for what he's about to say.

"What I'm saying is this: Exile…Is really not Exile."

The Rovers erected like statues. They all did a double take on what Aki just said, none of them entirely sure what his words meant, like it was a cryptic message. Their eyes soon widened and only one word came from all of their mouths. "What?"

"What do you mean Exile's not Exile?" Blitz blurted out, feeling like his head is going to explode. He was so lost within this sea of information and technobabble.

"_Dah!_" Exile cried, unable to believe what he's hearing. "What do you mean I am not me?"

"What I mean is that when you all returned from the desert a week ago you never came back _with_ Exile," Aki continued the highly controversial theory.

"That's impossible!" Hunter replied. "We _did_ came back with Exile! He's right here! We rescued him from the Groomer and the Cano-Mutants!"

"Yah, he even has dhe memories to prove it!" Blitz fired back. "How can he not be Exile when it's clear he is!"

"Yeah," Colleen agreed, staying by Exile's side. "How can you bloomin' say that?"

Shag grumbled in agreement to the rest of the team. Exile was overwhelmed with gratitude that the team stuck by him. The accusation that he wasn't who he is was a low blow. Like they said, it was absurd. He _knows_ who he is, and like Blitz said, he has the memories to prove he is who he is. Sure, he's still suffering from slight amnesia, not being able to remember most of his life, but he's positive of his own identity.

Aki meanwhile rubbed his eyes, understanding their outburst in their friend's defense. But unfortunately he knows what he's talking about. He's seen the readings, read the reports. The evidences are stacked against the Rovers.

The Rovers then noticed something was off. The Master hasn't said anything during the whole thing. In fact, it almost seems like…

"Master? You're not…Agreeing with him, are you?" Hunter asked.

The Master sighed sadly. "Rovers…Just listen."

Their spirits then just took a nose dive. They all trusted the Master more than anything, so if he sounds sure about this and actually agrees with Aki, then that means…

"Have any of you heard about the Klónos Project?" Aki asked the team.

No one nodded.

Aki looked at the computer monitor for a second, pulled out a file and informed them.

"The Klónos Project is a top-secret military project proposed to the US Army a few years ago in a thesis by a scientist named Professor Alfred. The purpose of the Klónos Project was to resolve the long-term problem of the military's enlisting decline and lower war casualties by creating replicas of able-bodied soldiers and sending them to war instead of the men the replicas were based on. They would essentially be the perfect soldiers, with nothing holding them back such as fear, hesitation, or even memories."

"Of course, the US Army declined the project nearly out the gate before it even began," Aki continued. "The military deemed it inhumane and immoral, not to mention impractical when comparing the expenses. They deleted any information about the project from their databanks, and Professor Alfred was dishonorably discharged once he tried to continue the project behind their backs. He was lucky he wasn't court-martialed at all."

The Rovers were horrified as they heard about the Klónos Project. It sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie, but this in fact actually exists. The idea of people, actual living beings, lining up and allowing them to create a copy of themselves and send _them_ to war like they were disposable assets, it was appalling. And yet someone actually tried to make it a reality. Nobody in the room liked what they were hearing. The details of this project, what its objective was. The dots were coming together, but nobody wanted to see what the finished picture will be. Exile was terrified. He didn't want to hear any more.

My theory?" But Aki went on, much to Exile's dismay. "Parvo found out about the Klónos Project, tracked down Professor Alfred and took him away. Whether he went willingly or not isn't the problem, but the fact remains that Parvo got his hands on the project, and used it."

"No..._Nyet_!" Exile barked, seeing where this is going. "That cannot be! I cannot be a...A...That is not possible!" He shook his head again, just managing to control his rage. "You say those things don't have memories, or feelings, but I _do!_ I remember who I am! I _know_ who I am!"

Aki's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes, I've heard about your amnesia, and you say you still have it considering you don't remember everything about yourself yet. But, with all of your memories during your captivity restored, I say you've already recovered everything you had to remember."

"What? No!" Exile shouted. "I still have things to remember! The memories of me, my whole life, they-"

"They never were in your head to begin with," Aki interrupted him. "They were never actually there."

"What do you mean?" Hunter stepped in and asked for Exile, trying to give the Husky a few seconds to compose himself.

"Memories aren't only stored in just your brain, at least according to one theory," Aki said. "It's called the Body Memory theory. According to it our very own cells can carry our memories as well. It's possible that during the process Parvo overlooked this, and Exile's memories got passed onto the copy via this method. Little by little as the days passed these cells coursed through his body and up into his brain, absorbing the memories these cells had and essentially allowed him to 'remember' them. As for why Exile doesn't remember a grand part of his life this way, it's simple: he doesn't have them anymore. They were destroyed when Exile fell into his coma."

Exile's tightening fists loosened. Most of his memories...Gone for good? The Husky has apparently given up, his arms falling limp on his sides. He had nothing else to say, nothing to counter with, and merely stood there and listening like a good dog.

"But...But how...?" Hunter asked almost in a whisper. The possibilities about what Aki's saying are just tearing at his usually optimistic nature.

"The Master and I found something." Aki turned back to the computer and displayed the images from the CT-Scan, showing an image from within Exile's head. Again, he notes the little square within Exile's skull.

"What...is that?" Colleen asked, noting the out of place square.

"It's a disruptor chip," Aki said. "I looked into it before all of you came in. It's a small chip mainly designed for sabotages. When activated these chips shoot an electrical discharge, powerful enough to destroy and fry any electrical devices and motherboards. This one though is directly implanted into Exile's brain, so you can probably guess what'll happen when this one goes on right into our brains."

"Oh my," Colleen gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in shock. A direct electrical shock into the brain would...

"I wouldn't worry though," Aki responded to the Rovers' shock. "These chips break after they're used, often breaking into two pieces. And from the looks of it this one has already been activated. But, as we can all see, Exile survived the electrical discharge. My guess is something disrupted the chip before it was activated, damaging it and lowering its potency. Usually having it anywhere near an electric shock would do it."

Exile let out a small gasp. Back at the hidden base when he escaped he suffered an electric shock when he pulled out the nuclear battery from their generator. Now that he clearly remembers and thinks back it was around that point where his headaches began. He absently rubbed behind his left ear. This disruptor chip..._That's_ what it was? Did that shock saved his life in the long run?

"Because it was damaged beforehand it was only potent enough to shock and knock Exile into a coma, but when it happened the electrical discharge triggered his amnesia, wiping everything out but his _real_ memories in the process, the ones actually hotwired into his brain; from his awakening all the way up until his escape."

Exile didn't know how to take this. He can't remember them because they were never there – Or his for that matter – to begin with. Any that he had were all erased from an electrical discharge directly into his brain. The rest were just his true memories, forgotten.

"I don't buy it!" Hunter exclaimed. "This still isn't proof about what you said about Exile! He could still be suffering from amnesia for all we know!"

"Remember that replicas made from the Klónos Project were theorized to not have any memories from the original. But you're right, it's not solid proof," Aki said, and for a moment Hunter felt some slight hope rising, but they were soon to be dashed.

"But get this: There have been documented genetic kinks during the process of cloning over years of research and studies, such as shortened telomeres and genomic imprinting. These problems often results with the replicas having shortened life expectancies than the originals, whether that'd be in weeks, months, or even years."

"Now, reviewing Exile's condition," Aki went on. "His DNA is breaking up, preventing him from using the Transdogmafiers to return into his normal dog form. Not only that, but his red and white blood cells are dissolving. They're not regenerating to replace the dying ones fast enough, so his immune system is slowly shutting down. Not to mention his deteriorating fur color and his weakening condition. In short, Exile's body is deteriorating due to almost nonexistent telomeres holding him together. This is why Parvo wanted the Cellular Stabilizer. This is what his latest scheme is for world domination, and this is why he dognapped Exile."

As Aki concluded their theory no one uttered a word. The silence was so deafening a needle hitting the ground could be heard. Their minds were still processing every little word Aki said, but as the truth dawned on them nobody could say one single syllable. It all came together nicely, and it all made sense. But they still couldn't believe it. They didn't _want_ to believe that this was the cold hard truth.

"I'm terribly sorry, everyone," Aki added as he took note of the devastation in the Rover's faces. "But you never came back with Exile. What you rescued from the desert was nothing other than his replica, a product from the Klónos Project. Exile's still out there, and at the mercy of General Parvo and the Groomer."

The whole team was stunned. Just stunned. The Master closed his eyes in sadness and lowered his head. The news was hard on everyone, he didn't expect this to be easy or that they would take it well.

Blitz trembled, rubbing his hands together as he tried to stay calm. Everything about this just terrified him. He knew his friendship with Exile was rocky at best, with him always disgusting Exile with his talks about biting buttocks and admiring his own beauty. But still, he was his friend, his partner.

"He's not…Our…" Blitz couldn't finish his sentence, his heart was beating so hard against his ribcage he couldn't keep his voice straight. He looked at Exile, finally understanding the Husky's progressively weakening state and the discoloration of his fur.

Hunter dropped to his knees, unable to hold himself up anymore. Here they were in their cozy homes, relaxing from a successful rescue nearly two weeks ago, thinking that everything was finally all right. But all this time their team mate, their friend, was still out there, a prisoner to their enemies, still suffering. Hunter gritted his teeth and fell forward as he slammed his fist into the ground, holding himself up with his other hand.

"It can't be," Hunter whispered, hoping that this was all just one really bad nightmare. He bit his tongue, hoping the pain would wake him up any moment now. He gave up quickly after when there was no change.

'Exile' was trembling, his whole body shaking like jello. He couldn't believe that this was the cold hard truth he's been looking for. The truth about what Parvo and Groomer did to him. But now that he knew, he wished he would've never found out in the first place.

He tried to deny it, but somehow deep known he knew it was the truth. He wasn't Exile at all. He was just a mere copy, a replica of the real thing. A copy created by General Parvo as the basis for his next ultimate plan for world domination. Was he plotting to replace his entire Cano-Mutant army for a whole army of his very own Road Rovers? Was his escape and reunion with the Rovers all part of a plan to destroy them from the inside out, and his amnesia was just a grave error that threw the whole plan apart?

A heartbroken Colleen placed a sympathetic hand on Hunter's shoulder, trying to console their leader. She was just as devastated as he was. To suddenly realize that all this time one of their own was still the prisoner of that man, and to be subjected to such a terrible thing such as the…

_The Klónos Project…_

She then remembered what the project was exactly for. She turned her head and looked at 'Exile', the replica who was born from such a project. She saw the terror in his eyes, the fear as his whole body shook. The Husky whom they all trusted as a friend was nothing more than a thing created by Parvo...

No…No, he wasn't a thing. He was a living being as much as they all were, and he's still one of them.

'Exile' slowly turned his head and locked eyes with Colleen. The Collie whom he used to remember as a dear friend now felt like a stranger again. Suddenly everyone around him felt alien to him. He felt out of place, he didn't belong. The Rovers, these dogs, they weren't his friends. They were Exile's. Exile belonged here, not him.

He took a step back, backing away toward the door of the Medical Ward, getting away from all of them.

"Exile…?" Colleen turned to face the Husky, sympathetically taking a step toward him.

He wasn't a Rover; he wasn't even supposed to exist. He didn't belong here. He was trespassing.

"No," she slowly shook her head, sensing what the Husky must be thinking. "No, this isn't your fault. This doesn't mean that you're not our…"

He stole Exile's identity, his life, his friends, everything. He was a nobody trying to be a somebody. And what's worse, he was slowly dying. His body was slowly shutting down all because of a severe flaw in the cloning process. Was this some greater being's ultimate justice for him trying to be someone he wasn't? His solution for whoever tried to play god?

Hunter looked over his shoulder, seeing the Husky backing away from them. He barely looked like Exile anymore with his fur color almost gone. He couldn't believe all this time they were working with a replica and not the real Exile. Other than his slight anger problem with the Groomer and a better grasp on basic vocabulary there was nothing that made him suspect he wasn't actually Exile.

"Exile…Please-"

"_No!_" 'Exile' barked at Colleen, making her jump a step away from him. "Just…Just get away from me!"

'Exile' turned on his heel and barged through the Medical Ward doors, leaving them all behind as he ran away as far as he could.

Shag whimpered as the Husky left the room in a hurry, staying in his spot as he did not know what to do for him or for the others. Blitz's hands curled into fists as he turned his head away, closing his eyes as they began to sting. He tried to convince himself that he just got something in his eyes.

The Master kept his head down and his eyes closed, his heart heavy with sorrow and sympathy. Aki sighed sadly and slowly turned his seat around, his finger absently working its way up the keyboard to a button, shutting down the computer that housed all of the information. Not even Muzzle – who everyone thought was just beginning to hate Exile not too long ago – was spared of the sorrow and felt sympathy for the Husky as he whined and whimpered.

Colleen merely stood where she was standing, her eyes set on the doors the Husky rushed through in his anguish. She curled her hand into a fist and held it close to her chest, bowing her head as she closed her eyes.

Hunter was already up on his feet next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to console her. She turned and buried her face in his chest. Hunter held her close to console her while he looked at the doors 'Exile' ran off through. He looked genuinely upset, his heart and spirit most obviously broken after everything he heard today, the accusations thrown at him. He couldn't blame him; they were all in a very low morality right now.

"Exile…" Hunter whispered, his eyes burning as they start to water. He could – not to mention shouldn't – bring himself to hate him for fooling them all. He was as much of a victim here as any one of them was. He couldn't be blamed or hated.


	12. Re Awakening

**Chapter 11: Re-Awakening**

'Exile' didn't know where he was going, but he certainly wasn't going back to…'his' room, or anywhere in Mission Control for that matter.

All he knew was that he wound up within the outer perimeters of Mission Control, somewhere beyond the surrounding jungles to the shores of the beach. He didn't remember how he got there; everything was still a blur after what happened in the Medical Ward.

He was still trying to process everything that was said in the Medical Ward, trying to come to terms with everything that he learned, trying to make sense out of it all. He was so frustrated, so angry that he howled toward the heavens, the tears flowing down his cheeks a testament of his broken spirit.

Everything he thought he knew was a lie. He isn't a Road Rover; he isn't even the dog he thought he was. His lapses in his memories, his deteriorating health and body, it was all making more sense than ever now. And the answer to it all was like a slap to the face.

The replica looked down at the ocean water he's knee-deep in, staring back at the reflection of the dog that infiltrated the ranks of the Road Rovers. This dog, this stranger he's having a staring contest with, tried to replace someone near and dear to the Rovers. He stole Exile's likeliness, his role as a Road Rover, his life, and passed himself off as him without a second thought. It was a despicable act.

"Who are you?" he growled. The reflection didn't do anything but mocked him, mimicking his every move like this was all just a game to it.

Angered the replica threw his fist at it, the reflection disappearing amidst the rippling waves. He calmed down a little with the reflection gone, his anger fading away. His body shook as he fought back the tears once more, frustrated by everything. It's funny, a replica like him being able to feel anything at all. Weren't they originally supposed to be hollow shells meant to be disposable soldiers, with no feelings to hold them back? What irony.

The replica slowly brought up his hand as the water around him began to produce his reflection again. He held his hand over it, staring at his own reflection. Those pitiful sad eyes, the bleached white fur that once used to be blue…

This dog he's staring at, he wondered, how much time did he had left? How much time before he falls asleep, never to wake up again?

* * *

><p>"<em>I don't blame him..."<em>

"_None of us do, 'untie. He was as much of a victim in this as any one of us. He didn't know any better. If anyone is to blame, it's Parvo."_

"_Parvo…He's gone too far this time. He not only hurt Exile and used him for his plans; he brought an innocent dog into this world and took advantage of him."_

"_Yah, Parvo's really gone and done it dhis time. I'd say we go after him now and make him pay!"_

"_Yeah, but…We can't just leave him like this…I mean, all alone and heart broken…"_

"_He looked so bloomin' sad and devastated…Where do you reckon' he went off to?"_

"_I don't know, but we better go look for him. He can't kick himself over this like it's all his fault, it isn't right."_

"_I think he went outside. Dhe front door's wide open."_

"_All right. Blitz, Shag, you two look in the forest. Colleen, check the waterfall. Sounds like a good of place as any for a sad dog to go to."_

"_All right."_

"_Yah, we'll find him."_

"_And I guess that leaves me with…The beach…Huh, so much for keeping the sand out of my boots."_

And so they went. Off to find their friend, to help him from his torment.

"Exile!" Hunter called as he cupped his hands to his mouth. They shouldn't have let him run off like that, letting him take all the blame himself. Hunter won't let him carry such stigma. It just wasn't right.

"Exile! Where are you!" He called out again.

No response. Hunter kept going down the path, eventually finding the dirt road turning into sand. He could already hear and smell the ocean as he got closer to the beach. They found him down here earlier today, so maybe with some luck he'll find him here again, hopefully.

Hunter looked down and saw footprints in the sand. He followed them, walking alongside the trail as he did. He wasn't too surprised that he found signs that said he went to the beach. The beach has always been Exile's special place whenever he was worried about something or if he had things to think about. The rare scenery made him feel more at ease, helped him think clearly. With that mind, then he too…

He stopped by the shore. The footprints stopped there, leading into the water. Hunter casted his eyes far out to sea at a loss. Did…Exile swim out to sea? Nah, that would be silly. _Hm, maybe he just needed a little dip in the water to calm down, and then kept walking by the shore._

Hunter looked down to his right and blinked. There were more footprints not far from him, leading away from the water. His gaze followed the track of footprints up the beach to a big stone set next to a set of palm trees. Hunter tilted his head to the side, then stepped toward the stone. "Exile?"

He didn't get a response, but he noticed a tail coming out of hiding from behind the stone. He sighed through his nose in relief, slightly smiled and called again.

"Exile…?"

"Go away."

Hunter didn't oblige. He moved closer to the stone, placed his hands on his hips and stood. "Exile, buddy, we need to talk."

"No, I said go away. Leave me alone."

Hunter frowned. Exile's reaction was completely understandable. After what they all learned about him even Hunter would admit he'd try to get away from it all as well. Of course that only made him want to stay even more, to help pull him out from his broken state of mind.

He sighed and sat on the sand, his back resting against the stone as he faced the ocean. He tried to come up with some words to say, but he opted to give him a moment, see if he comes around with something to say. Half a minute or so passed with silence, and Hunter was just about to make his move.

Then a sigh broke the silence. "Why do you keep calling me Exile?"

Ah, he speaks.

"Heh, come on, I gotta call you something, don't I? It's kind of rude calling you anything else. Besides, we all need names."

"But you heard comrade Aki and the Master, I am not Exile. I'm just a…A nobody who stole his name and identity. I…I'm not…"

"You didn't steal anything," Hunter said, shaking his head. "You didn't mean to do anything wrong. In fact, technically, you _didn't_ do anything wrong. You're not the enemy here, you don't even want to fight or turn on us. You're not to blame for this."

Another sigh. "Why should you care? I'm going to be dead soon, and you will get the real Exile back when you go after Parvo. Nobody is going to miss me, a copy and a…A…Thing that…That is nothing. Whatever it is you call it."

Hunter scratched his head. "A puppet?"

"N-No, it is like being…Being like a…A robot! Yes, that's it. I have nothing inside of me but memories and feelings of another person…I am a fake, who doesn't deserve to be here…Or to be a Rover…"

"Hey…Come on, that's not true," Hunter said. "Listen, I know it's not fair what Parvo did to Exile, and what he did to you. It's wrong. But, even though your memories weren't what you thought they were, even though they were fakes to you, the feelings, the joy and sadness they brought to you, those feelings weren't lies."

Exile remained quiet, but Hunter persisted. He looked back at the stone and kept going. "If you really were one of Parvo's minions, all of the memories and thoughts of being a Rover, the dogs he despises with the intensity of a thousand suns, it could've gotten you angry, disgusted, you may have even hated it all. But instead, rather than get you angry, they made you doubt yourself, despise the work you were doing, and even gave you the courage to break free and come find us."

"The pride, the joy you felt of being back with us, being a Rover, everything that made you smile and grin and say 'I love being a Road Rover,' those feelings all yours and nobody else's. I mean, body, memories, powers, abilities, all of that can be copied and given to another. But what you feel from them, what makes your heart pump in excitement and fear, you really can't copy those. They're special, unique, and they're all you."

Hunter climbed over the stone and looked down over the other side. 'Exile' sat there, the upper half of his armor still missing since he left the Medical Ward, his fur as white as before, if not more. From this angle Hunter wasn't seeing Exile anymore, but another Siberian Husky dog he never got the chance to really meet and get to know. A dog who they all called Exile and treated him as such, but never realized there was another identity buried under all the familiar features.

The dog looked up and noticed Hunter looming over him, looking down at him from the top of the stone. The Retriever's words were beginning to simmer in his mind, and they were starting to make sense and allowing him to see things in a whole new angle.

"You call yourself a thing, you keep comparing yourself to a robot," Hunter continued. "But the way I see it I see a very confused and lost dog who became a victim of Parvo's evil plans, who made him think he's just a tool and a puppet. But to me…Aw heck, to all of us, you're as real as any one of us. Sure, you have bits of our friend Exile's memories and some of his Russian talk, but that's where the similarities stop. Everything else, your feelings, your _heart, _it's yours and yours alone. They're special."

He has a point. If he was just a…a thing, he wouldn't feel anything other than what these memories tell him to feel. He shouldn't even be this conflicted or frustrated. He'd just either ignore it or be unable to find anything wrong. So, why _does_ he feel this way then? Why does he feel so sad and angry with himself? Angry that everything he knew was a lie?

Why...Why does it hurt so much?

"In the end, you're still a Road Rover," Hunter smiled at him. "You've helped us ever since you got here, and you've really made us all smile again. And to me, that's good enough."

The dog looked up at Hunter with bewilderment. He didn't know how to express his surprise by how nice Hunter was. He spent the better part of four days in someone else's shoes, deceiving them all, and yet there Hunter was waving it all away like it was just a big misunderstanding and offering him his friendship once again, this time for real. He couldn't believe they didn't hate him.

"And hey," Hunter added. "Once this is all over, we'll all have one big get-together. And then there isn't gonna be any more lies. We're goin' to be friends for real."

"R-Really...?"

"Of course," Hunter nodded with a grin. "I promise. You have my word as a dog and as a friend. Super Loyalty is one of my powers."

"…Heh, I…I'd like that. But, what…What about my…You know…This still doesn't mean that I'm…"

"Hey, there's still gotta be a cure. Remember the Cellular Stabilizer? We'll get it back, and then you'll have all the time in the world to find yourself and enjoy being a Rover."

He forgot all about the Cellular Stabilizer. The formula Parvo needs to make sure the replicas from the project would last on him. It all sounded so obvious now. That formula, it's been the key all along. But could it really save him? He didn't know for sure, but it's the best shot he has to keep himself alive.

"So, what do you say?" Hunter hopped over the stone and looked down at the dog. With a friendly smile he held his hand out to him. "You know we could use all the help we can get against someone like Parvo. So, will you help us rescue Exile and put a stop to Parvo's evil plans?"

He didn't need to think things twice. "Of course," he replied, grabbing Hunter's hand and pulling himself up with Hunter's help.

"All right," Hunter cheered. "With your help Parvo's not going to stand a chance. Hah, like he ever had any."

The Husky nodded. He once again had that fire in his eyes, and yet there was a bit of anxiety building up inside. They were going back to the Sahara Desert, back to the base where he was…Created and held in for five straight days. He remembers all the trouble he went through to break out of there, and now he's going to need those memories again to break back _in_.

"Let's go round up the others." Hunter was more than ready to go. He was about to head back to Mission Control when something suddenly came up in his head.

"Oh! Hahah, stupid me, I almost forgot." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a collar. It was Exile's, left behind in the Medical Ward. "A Rover can't be anywhere without his collar."

The Husky stared at the collar in Hunter's hand. He forgot all about that after he took it off before the Master's medical exams. He was about to take it when he froze, his hand hovering inches away from the collar. He shook his head and gently pushed Hunter's hand away. "No, I'm not taking it."

"Huh? Why not?"

"That collar, it is Exile's, not mine."

"Oh," Hunter looked at the collar and frowned. He's right, this _is_ Exile's collar. He can't give another dog's collar to someone else. That would cause major trouble with the dog catchers. He gave a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his head. "Heheh, oops, my bad. All right, then. When we get back we'll get you a new one. A collar of your very own!"

The Husky smiled and nodded. "I would like that."

* * *

><p>"We're so glad to see you back!"<p>

The Husky was nearly thrown to the floor of the briefing room as Colleen threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. It was a sense of déjà-vu back to the day he woke up from his coma. He blushed from the attention but kept his arms to himself.

"Now please, don't be running off like that again, ya' hear?" Colleen scolded at him after letting him go, like a mother would to a child. "We don't want you thinkin' that this is your fault in the slightest. You should be blaming Parvo for this, not yourself."

"Calm down, Colleen," Hunter chuckled and stepped between her and the Husky. "I already gave him that little talk when I found him. I don't think he needs to hear it again."

The Husky nodded submissively, not wanting a piece of a woman's scolding. "_D-Dah_...I-I mean yes, I already know that song and dance."

"I'm a little amazed you know that saying," Hunter commented back at the Husky.

The Husky gave a little sheepish grin. At least he was glad to know that none of the Rovers hold any ill will toward him, much to his relief. Hunter was more than willing to put everything behind him and start anew with him, but he couldn't speak for the others. For now though at least Colleen seems to share the same feelings as Hunter does.

Shag came up from behind and yelped happily as he ruffled the Husky's head fur. The Husky was then a bit startled when Muzzle approached him and, instead of growling, yelped at him through his muzzled snout and nudged him affectionately. This came as a big surprise for him, since during his whole stay here Muzzle's been nothing but hostile toward him.

Blitz watched with his arms folded over his chest, staying out of the little group around the Husky. He'll admit he's as relieved as they all are that he's back, but he's not the mushy kind of dog for this.

"Yah yah, we got him back, hurray," Blitz stepped in to break them up. "But aren't we forgetting something important we gotta do? You know, before it's too late?"

"Blitz is right, Rovers," the Master said from his spot up in the briefing room. "Now that we know the full extent of Parvo's plan with the Klónos Project time is of the essence. We cannot drag our feet anymore."

The Rovers all faced the Master and nodded. He's right, this time they can't wait for Parvo to make his next move. This time they must bring the fight to him.

"We're ready to go at any moment, Master," Hunter announced with a stern face.

The Master nodded to the Retriever. He then looked at the Husky and said "as for you, my friend, I know this has been a tough week for you, and I understand your pain from what all we learned of your origins. Now, I understand your reluctance to return to the Sahara Desert for this mission but please, will you help us put a stop to this latest threat?"

The Husky stood straight and tall, making eye contact with the Master. For the first time ever he had no doubts, he had his confidence back despite knowing that his skills were nothing but memories from another dog's life. He kept his anger and hatred to Parvo and Groomer in check, took a deep breath, and nodded.

"It is my job, right?" He responded. "As a Road Rover I will help fight against Parvo's army and rescue your friend. Besides, after all of this I kind of want to meet Exile myself. You have my services."

"Thank you," the Master said with a nod. "I'm glad to hear you're still willing to help us. Now, to finish your request, I'll need a name. Your name."

The Rovers looked at the Husky. He looked down for a moment, giving it a quick thought. At first nothing came to him, but then his eyes lit up as something came to him. The Russian book he found and read in Exile's room, the biography of a military leader he found fascinating, and with a name that he really liked. _Alexander Nevsky…_

"Alex," he said to the Master. "Alexander."

The Master smiled and nodded, acknowledging the new identity. "Very well. From this point on you are now Road Rover ID #0304, Alexander."

"Alexander," Hunter mused the name over in his mind. It had a nice ring to it, and it easily rolled off the tongue. "Alex," he repeated again with a nod. "Cool, I like that name!"

The Husky, now named Alexander, held up the brand new collar the Master just gave him. He looked at the red texture of the collar, examined the metallic tag. His Rover ID, #0304, was engraved on it, his name on the other side. He placed the collar around his neck, snapping it on. He looked down at the tag, flicking it once with his finger and heard it clink against his armor. His very own collar…

"It looks just great on you, Alex," Colleen complemented him with a smile.

Alex gave an embarrassed smile as he blushed, scratching his cheek with one finger as he looked away.

"All right, we're all ready to go!" Hunter held his fist up, ready to get the show on the road. "Did you check the data we found about Parvo's hidden base, Master?"

"Yes, we did," the Master said. "Both Aki and I have been taking a closer look on it for any further information. Aki?"

Aki stopped his work on the main computer and rotated his chair around to face the others. He looked right at home in front of the computer working on all the data and information of the Road Rovers. In fact that was his job back home in the Japan Branch of Mission Control. He was the navigator and computer expert of the team, helping out his team on support role.

"The data you found was a big help," Aki said to the others. "Not only did it locate Parvo's base, but it also gave us so much information I could take a closer look at it."

"Although," Aki looked back at the monitor with a frown. "Apparently getting all this data was hard work. The Rover Satellite was overloaded and it'll take a few hours to get it back online before we can get it functional over that part of the world for further analysis."

Hunter, Blitz and Shag looked at each other. Their eyes soon went on Colleen, who was at the moment sheepishly looking down her feet, her hands held behind her back. She didn't mean to overload the satellite.

"Anyway, even with the existing data we think it's enough to find a way inside," Aki said, getting their attention back. "We know the location of at least one entrance. It'll just take a little hacking to get it open but once that's done you're in."

Blitz smirked and slammed his fist into his open palm. "And once we're inside we'll kick _and_ bite their hineys, yah?"

Alex rolled his eyes and went to say a most expected exchange…But decided against it. That was Exile's shtick, not his. But then again, Blitz's insistence on sinking his teeth into anyone's buttocks still disgusted him.

The Master shook his head. "While it might be tempting, you might not have a lot of time to spare to find Exile, get him out safe and stop the Klónos Project from creating any more replicas."

"Why? Are we on a time limit?" Hunter asked.

"Kind of," Aki responded. "The Klónos Project is used to create replicas, but it takes time to create one. And according to Ex-...Erm, I mean Alex's memories he was under Parvo's control for five days, right?"

"Yes," Alex nodded.

"And Exile was missing for a whole week. Seven days, correct?"

"Uh-huh," Hunter scratched his head.

"So in the end, we got two days unaccounted for," Aki held up two fingers as he made his point.

"That would mean that during those two days they were making…" Colleen knew what this meant, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to say it. It was terrible what they did, and just thinking about it chilled her to the bone.

"Making me," Alex said, finishing the sentence.

"Yes," Aki nodded. "Though I assume they didn't start the process right away after capturing Exile. My theory is, according to the data based on the Klónos Project, getting the subject ready, warming up the systems, and getting everything just right, they spent at least 10 hours preparing. So, by my calculations, at the latest, the process takes up to 38 hours to make a fully operational replica."

"But they couldn't do a thing without the nuclear battery," the Master added, his eyes on Alex. "Alex had the battery with him. But it was lost in your last mission."

Alex remembered that. He mentally cursed himself and avoided eye contact with the Master. He felt ashamed for letting that slip happen. It was their trump card, so to speak.

"It's been 24 hours since that mission, Rovers," the Master continued. "Doing the math, they have a day's worth of a head start."

"And it takes 38 hours for the process to finish," Aki said, summarizing everything. "10 hours to prepare for the process, and 28 hours for the replication process to finish. And with that 24 hours of a head start…"

Hunter counted his fingers, then snapped his fingers when it hit him. "Then we have fourteen hours to stop Parvo before he finishes another replica!"

Aki nodded. "And I'm willing to bet after the last time Parvo is jumping through every hoop to make sure this one doesn't rebel or absorb Exile's memories. This one will be _the _perfect replica soldier."

"Oh, man…" Hunter grimaced. To picture themselves having to fight the spitting image of their comrade…

"The time limit isn't just to save yourself the trouble and the unbearable choice of fighting and putting down an exact replica of Exile," Aki went on. "But Alex's escape is the one thing that's kept Parvo from disposing of Exile all along. In order for the Klónos Project to succeed they need the subject itself, or at least an already made replica. Once this new replica is complete, there's no need for Parvo to keep Exile alive anymore. He could finish him off whenever he wants."

Everyone gulped at the thought of the former. It was bad enough what they went through with Alex, believing that he was Exile up until hours ago when they learned the truth. But the thought of having to put him down for good…They would much rather avoid that scenario.

This information and the latter was enough for Hunter to put the pedal to the metal. "In that case there's no time to waste. It'll take us at least an hour or so to get there with the Sonic Rover, and depending on how long it'll take us to get inside and how big the base is under all that sand we just might be cutting it pretty close!"

"Yes, time is of the essence," The Master nodded. "You must hurry before it's too late, Rovers. Parvo must not succeed."

"Once the Rover Satellite is back online I'll orbit it back over the Sahara Desert so Master and I can get in contact with you and provide you all with further support," Aki said. "Until then I'm afraid you're all on your own, so use your best judgment and be careful out there."

"Will do, gov'." Colleen acknowledged. Shag yelped affirmatively.

"Yah, we will." Blitz promised, though the back of his mind was just begging him to beat up the first Cano-Mutant he sees.

Alex simply gave a nod.

"You better watch out, Parvo. I'm coming for you," Hunter muttered to himself, closing his hands into fists.

It was finally time, time for the final battle against Parvo's latest scheme. A lot is at stake here, including the life of one of their own. Failure was not an option. This time, it's personal, and they'll make sure that they will come out on top and crush Parvo's plot once more. They'll rescue Exile, and put a stop to the Klónos Project once and for all.

"All right," Hunter called out to his team. "Let's hit the road, Rovers!"

And they were off, all howling in unison as they made their way to the hangar.


	13. The Sahara's Secret

**Chapter 12: The Sahara's Secret**

Hunter squinted and shielded his eyes as the main hatch of the Sonic Rover opened, giving way for the scorching sun to hit his face.

Time difference was really something else. When they left Mission Control it was just five in the afternoon. Now here they are, the Sahara Desert, one hour after they left, and it's only three in the afternoon here. They got the sunlight at least.

Hunter's eyes scanned the perimeter within his sights. No Cano-Mutants, no secret base, not even a machine keeping watch. It was all sand sand and more sand. Is Parvo even expecting them? He guesses no. Maybe he's just sure of himself this time that an underground base is enough to keep them away long enough for his plans to pull through without a hitch.

Maybe he still hasn't learned his lesson after his many numerous defeats. No matter where he goes or hides, they're going to find him and put a stop to his plans every time.

Hunter held up his PDA and pulled out the Sahara Desert data and maps. Master went through this data earlier today and made the appropriate marks and notes for them to follow. Their target, a hidden door under the sand, was a couple of miles from their landing point. It'll take some effort to get in there without being detected – If that's even possible, he might add – but once they're inside it should be smooth sailing. At least, he hopes.

His only worry was Alex. Everyone estimates he doesn't have a lot of time left. He was calm during the trip to the Sahara, but they all knew he was worried about the degradation, and terrified what might happen when his time was up. Hunter mused that he might have at least a couple of days left, maybe even a little bit less. He based this theory of his on the time limit they have until Parvo's latest replica is complete.

_And that's thirteen hours_, Hunter thought. _That's all the time we have to stop Parvo and save Exile._

Hunter knew that Alex's only possible hope of salvation was the Cellular Stabilizer, the one thing Parvo needs to make the copies from the Klónos Project last. A similar science to the Nuclear Stabilizer, a device Parvo needed years ago to make the effects of the Cano-Mutator last. Neither Aki nor the Master confirmed or denied this idea, so Hunter's relying on blind faith on this one. It just _had_ to work.

_No use standing around thinking about it_, Hunter thought as he put his PDA away. _Exile's waiting for us. So, let's do this._

"All right, Rovers," Hunter said as he turned the ignition of their vehicle, gripping the steering wheel as tight as he could. "Let's head out!"

On cue their vehicle shot out from the hangar bay of the Sonic Rover's. The vehicle hit the sand and caught traction with its wheels, tearing up the track as it speeds away from their landing point.

The vehicle was a new one, just recently developed a couple of months ago. It had six seats aligned in three rows and two columns. The tires were big, designed to gain traction on sand and ice much like the new Cycle Rovers they used before. It was similarly designed like a jeep, built to include a radar, GPS and internal computer for data input and output. They called it the Dune Rover.

"We seem to have a thing for everything," Alex commented as he eyed every nook and cranny he could of the Dune Rover.

"Quite right, we're always lookin' for new equipment," Colleen replied.

"It's more of Exile's kind of thing," Hunter added. "He's always tinkering in the hangar and coming up with new things for us."

Alex sat quietly for a moment, letting that sink in. Strange, now that he knows this little nugget of information he never had that kind of incentive to spend time in the hangar, back when he used to think he was…

He shook his head. No, let's not dwell into that. He's not Exile. Why should he want to? Because he was supposed to be his replica? Is he supposed to be good with tools as well? The thought never crossed his mind during the last couple of weeks.

"So," Alex whispered. "That means I'm good with tools as well?"

Hunter blinked at the question, immediately getting at where Alex was coming from. The subject still stung the Rovers, and he could only imagine the anguish and self-doubt Alex may still be going through.

"Well, maybe, it's possible," Hunter responded after finding his words.

Colleen looked at Alex, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Alex looked back at her, trying his best to give her a brave smile. His eyes wandered down to in-between their seats. As he gave it some more thought something came back to him.

"_Poor pooch, about to be done in by your own work."_

Alex remembers now. He _did_ tinker with tools and equipment. That bomb Groomer used on him, the modifications on their weapons to increase their firepower and accuracy handling, among other things. That was all him. No wonder there was something about their weapons that bothered him.

Ashamed from the sudden revelation Alex absently ran a finger down the middle in-between their seats. He suddenly caught something out of the ordinary and tilted his head, keeping his ears erect. It took him a second realize the problem.

"There's a loose bolt."

Hunter glanced back. "Excuse me?"

Alex looked at Hunter. "You can hear a jingling sound coming from under the seat. If you ignore that the Dune Rover might fall apart right in the middle. You…Might want to bring that to Exile's attention."

"Oh," Hunter strained his ears to listen to this jingling sound. Alex must have good ears to catch that sound over the rushing wind. "Wow, you got good ears to catch that!"

Alex nodded and looked out at the desert terrain. He just made the Rovers' missions even harder.

"We're getting close now, 'unter," Colleen said after a quick check on her PDA.

Hunter nodded. "Right."

"So uh, how exactly are we going to get inside once we're dhere?" Blitz asked, looking over to Hunter. "I don't think we're going to find a button we can push to get dhat door out of the sand."

"We'll dig it out if we have to," Hunter answered. "We got a few tricks up our sleeves, like that little device Master gave us. Which reminds me, you still have it, Alex?"

Alex blinked, then reached to the back of his belt and took out a small device. It was small enough to conceal it in his hand, but it could be opened up into a bigger device with a small screen and a couple of buttons, one of them being red. In a way it was vaguely shaped in the head of a dog.

"Yeah, I got it," Alex answered with a nod.

Blitz remembered the thing, but what he didn't remember was what it was for. "Um, what does it do again?"

"It's a locking mechanism jammer. It jams into the frequency of an electronic lock and breaks it," Alex explained.

"In other words, one press of a button and it's open sesame," Hunter said. "It doesn't matter if the door is under all that sand, we'll get it open no problem. Master also gave us another cool little toy for us to use, right?"

"Yeah, it's this one," Alex said as he put away the jammer into the back of his belt and reached for another device, holding out to the others. This one was flat in the shape of a dog bone.

"Okay, so what does dhat one do?" Blitz asked as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Boy, you're a lad with so many questions, strangah," Colleen said out loud.

"It's Blitz," Blitz corrected her, growling in frustration.

"It's…Ummm…" Hunter muttered, scratching his head. He forgot what the bone-shaped one does.

Colleen however clearly remembers, and she's more than happy to fill them in. "It releases an electromagnetic pulse which overloads and destroys any machinery within its range."

Hunter snapped his fingers. "Right! That. Thanks, Colleen,"

Colleen smiled at the Retriever. As she was about to say anything else her eyes caught a sight most unwanted to their left, and she yelled out "look out!"

Hunter jumped and veered heavily to the right, just barely avoiding a gunshot from blowing out the Dune Rover's engine. Another three shots came at them, all narrowly avoided. A glance to the side Hunter took notice of their attackers. Cano-Mutants. It's obvious now that even with his base hidden underground Parvo wasn't going to take any chances this time. He was going all out.

"Once," Hunter sighed to the others. "Just once I'd like to get into the villain's hide-out without having them see us coming. Is that so much to ask?"

"Why don't you ask them?" Colleen snarked, pointing a thumb over to the incoming Cano-Mutants on their motor bikes.

Shag whimpered and ducked, covering his head with his paws from the incoming shots. Alex held on as Hunter picked up speed of the vehicle to stay ahead of them. He cursed Parvo's name under his breath.

"Aah!" Blitz yelped as he ducked from a shot. "Okay, dhis is getting too much. I wanna go home! Do something, Hunter!"

"Working on it!" Hunter veered again from another onslaught of gunfire. He has to admit, their aim has gotten better lately. And it's clearly disturbing him. At this rate they won't be going far at all. The Dune Rover is going to get outrunned by the Cano-Mutant's motor bikes at this rate. They'll be caught and then it'll be all over for them.

"I'm deploying, Rovers," Hunter announced to the team as he pressed and flipped a few switches in the Dune Rover's control panel.

"W-What?" Blitz stammered, immediately grabbing the handle bars that came on his side of the Dune Rover.

"We'll have a better chance shaking them off if we split up. Brace yourselves, everyone! Track Rovers, away!"

With a pull of a lever the Dune Rover changed. The vehicle split right in the middle, separating the team. Each side, with their respective two tires, parted from each other, spare pieces and parts of the Dune Rover falling off and discarded aside. Only the essentials remained in the two separated pieces, and they were fully operational three-seated motorcycles: the Track Rovers.

Blitz was instantly disoriented and panicked a little from the sudden shift in vehicles, not to mention the handling over a three-seated cycle with full passengers, but he quickly got it all under control and was speeding with the best of them.

Alex looked down at the cycle he was riding on, making sure he was hanging on as not to fall off from the sheer speed. This was amazing; a vehicle that can change from a six-seated buggy into a three-seated motorcycle. He felt a pang of pride. Did Exile really build this?

"Egh!" Alex flinched as a shot rang clear over their heads. He heard Shag yelping behind him from the scare, and he unfortunately heard Blitz's high-pitched scream.

"We're gonna die!" Blitz yelped to high heaven. "Dhey knew we were coming and now we're gonna die! What are we going to do!"

"Shut up and drive!" Alex shouted at the Doberman over the rushing wind, trying to get him to calm down and focus. "It's just like the Cycle Rover, only longer!"

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one driving!"

"Trust me, I wish I was. Now speed up!"

Meanwhile Hunter was dealing with chasers of his own. They zigged and zagged through the desert terrain, dodging the incoming gunfire as Colleen rode on the passenger seat with him. It was like a terrible case of déjà-vu.

"Blimey, it's like they make a sport out of this," Colleen said as she glanced back to their chasers.

"One point for hitting the dude and two points for hitting the girl?" Hunter joked.

"And maybe five for blowing out the tires," Colleen added.

"Then I guess we better not make their little game easy- Oy!"

Hunter slammed on the brakes and turned the Track Rover to the side, coming to a stop right in front of a sand hill. He could've easily gotten over it, but the obstacle was the three Cano-Mutants up at the top, each with launchers and blasters. And all aimed at them.

"Oh come on," Hunter cried. "That's camping!"

"Ya' know, I think this is the beginnin' of a trend when we end up in an exhilarating motorcycle chase scene every time we're in a desert," Colleen said.

Hunter gulped as the Cano-Mutants aim their launchers right at them. "In that case let's make a note to never set foot on a desert again."

He quickly turned the Track Rover around and accelerated, leaving the scene in his dust just as the Cano-Mutants pulled the trigger. Hunter and Colleen both winced from the ensuing explosion behind them, no doubt angering a few Cano-Mutants over wasted ammo.

"To think that would've been a solid ambush, i_f_ they waited for us to clear over the hill first," Hunter mused.

"You _wanted_ them to hit us?" Colleen fired back, looking back.

"I'm just saying, it would've caught us off-guard if they would've waited for a little bit longer-"

"Hunter!"

"What!" Hunter glanced back, trying to see what Colleen saw. "I know they're still chasing us!"

"No, not that!"

Through a pair of binoculars they had with them Colleen got a closer look at the Cano-Mutants that tried to blow them up a short while ago. They looked mad, but that wasn't the important thing. There was something behind them, something big and metal.

"Hunter, they got one of the bloomin' gates up behind them!"

"A way in?"

"Yeah. I reckon' they must have others opened up near the snipers."

"Then that's our aim!" Hunter tapped into the Track Rover's radio. "Blitz? Alex? Shag? Listen up, we found a way in! There should be a gate near their snipers. Find them and get through that gate!"

"_N-Near dheir snipers? You want me to drive myself to my doom? You're crazy, Hunter. You're goin' to get us all killed!"_

"_We don't have another choice, Blitz! Shut it and gun it!"_

"_Stop shouting! You're being a bit of a jerk, Alex."_

Hunter sighed as he rolled his eyes. "That's enough, you two. I know it's a risk but I'm sure we all knew that when we got here. Just try to make it inside and we'll meet up in the base."

With that Hunter hung back the radio and made a drastic sudden turn, facing the direction they just came from. He knew what to aim for, it was all a matter of how. He took a quick note of the hill the Cano-Mutants were camping on top of, and a brilliant plan was born.

"Hey Colleen," Hunter said as he revved up the motor, speeding off toward the sand hill. "Remember what I told ya the last time we were here?"

The sight of the sand hill reminded Colleen of her little stunt and immediately knew what Hunter meant. She smiled and looked at Hunter over his shoulder. "It's all in the momentum, 'untie."

Hunter nodded as he smirked, pushing the Track Rover as fast as it could go. The Cano-Mutants that were chasing them had little time to react, only managing to dart out of the way in time as the Track Rover sped right past them, crashing into the sand in the process.

"All in the momentum," Hunter reminded himself as he drove straight to the sand hill. In an impressive display the Track Rover rode up the hill and shot up into the sky. The Cano-Mutants stationed in front of the entrance were completely stunned as the Track Rover flew straight up into the sky and threatening to clear straight over their head.

In his head the plan sounded pretty good. But now in practice he's beginning to notice the shortcomings. One, they'll clear right over the gate. And two, what's stopping the Cano-Mutants from aiming their launchers up at them?

Colleen also noticed these shortcomings. "Um, 'untie?"

Hunter quickly thought of a remedy. "Jump!"

In sync the two Rovers leapt from the airborne Track Rover, diving for the gate. The Cano-Mutants, who were seconds away from squeezing the trigger on their launchers, were caught by complete surprise as the Track Rover fell right on top of them, the Rovers kicking off the vehicle throwing its momentum off and sending it down on top of them.

As for Hunter and Colleen they both flew and violently crashed into the sand, rolling and bouncing along like rag dolls until their bodies violently crashed into the metallic floor inside the gate. Needless to say they were sore all over.

"Great plan, 'untie…I'm gonna give it a seven," Colleen snarked, knowing she's going to feel this in the morning.

"Yeah, and a solid two for the landing," Hunter groaned a reply.

With a push of a button inside the main doors seal behind them, and the gentle hum of machines rang through their ears as they felt themselves going down. Down to the underground hidden base…

As for the rest of the Rovers…

"Aaah!"

"Scream like that again and I'll fix whatever it is in your throat!"

Alex was getting a headache, and it wasn't one of his usual headaches. If he had to hear Blitz's high-pitched screams again one more time…

He looked over his shoulder when Shag tapped his shoulder, offering him a pair of earmuffs. How did all these different things fit in that fur coat of his anyway?

Shag and Alex both yelped in surprise as a gunshot shot the earmuffs right out of Shag's grip. The Sheepdog mumbled in a panic as he rubbed his paw. Alex knew they had to get out of here, and fast.

"Move it, Blitz!"

"And where am I supposed to go?" Blitz shouted back at Alex. "Dhere's nowhere to hide and dhey just won't stop chasing us!"

The Rovers ducked their heads again in a fright as another shot threatened to take their heads off. Alex looked over Blitz's shoulder to see where they were going. Scanning to his left he saw a group of Cano-Mutants camping in front of something, all of them wielding launchers and sniper rifles.

Alex remembered all too well Hunter's message. "There!" He shouted, pointing at their direction. "Go that way!"

Blitz saw the Cano-Mutants in the distance, and their weapons were the one thing he clearly noticed. He immediately had second thoughts about going that way. All he could picture were them just eating a rocket and going out in a blazing glory.

"A-Are you crazy, Alex? Just look at dhem and dheir launchers!"

"Just go! Trust me!"

Blitz gulped and veered the Track Rover around. He drove the cycle straight toward them, zig-zagging when it came to avoid the shots from the Cano-Mutants chasing them and from the snipers in front of them.

Blitz narrowed his eyes, his palms sweating. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. The Cano-Mutants would just see them coming and go for cover somewhere else. They surely wouldn't dare shooting a rocket at something coming so close to them, right?

He saw them readying their launchers. His heart sunk. Oh yes, they would dare, all right.

"A-Alex…!"

Alex gasped as the Cano-Mutants were ready to shoot. He narrowed his eyes and fired over Blitz's head with his heat vision just as the Cano-Mutants pulled the trigger.

The scorching hot rays from Alex's eyes struck the freshly-launched rocket, causing the ammunition to explode right in the Cano-Mutants' faces and blinding them in a cloud of smoke.

Seconds later this speeding vehicle plowed through the smoke screen, knocking them all down and out.

"Blitz, stop!"

Blitz slammed on the brakes and veered the Track Rover, but the speed they were going at was too much. The Track Rover slid on its side and slammed right inside the gate, crashing with a loud thud. The Rovers' pained yells and yelps rang loud and clear from inside.

Blitz groaned. "Well, at least I got us inside, didn't I?"

Alex grunted, believing he broke a rib or two. "Yes, with everything including the kitchen sink…"

Shag whimpered from the pain as the button inside the gate was pressed, closing the main doors behind them. A gentle hum from the machines noted them of their movements and felt themselves going down into the underground base.

Two teams descending into enemy territory, separated. Now the final mission really starts.

* * *

><p>"No turning back now," Hunter said, taking a deep breath.<p>

Colleen looked at the walls of the elevator, listening to the gentle hum of the machines at work as they descended into the underground facilities. It was slow going, but it at least gave them precious time to prepare themselves.

They've done this hundreds of times. Sneak into Parvo's base, ruin his plans and blow it up sky-high before he can do anything to retaliate, so they weren't nervous over stepping into enemy territory. What they were worried about was finding Exile before anything happens to him, or to them. Time wasn't exactly on their side this time.

"Guys? We're in," Hunter tapped into his comm. system, trying to communicate with the rest of the team. "We've made it inside. How are you guys doing? Hello? Alex? Blitz? Shag?"

He was hearing nothing but static. He wondered if they just had their comm. systems turned off or the dense metal around them was cutting off their signal.

Hunter tried one more time and then gave up. "Darn it, I can't get through to them."

"Figures. You go underground and all of a sudden the signal's gone," Colleen said. "When this is over I'm havin' a serious talk with our service provider."

"You and me both," Hunter replied, placing his hands on his hips. "But there's nothing more we can do for them now."

"I hope Alex and Shag made it in all right."

"What about Blitz?"

"Blitz-who?"

"The Doberman. Big, tough, acts like a big scaredy-dog? At least, I think it's an act."

"Oh! Right, him too."

Hunter hummed, never quite figuring out how Colleen can constantly forget about him. She either gets his name wrong or just forgets. He could never decide if it was just her way of messing with his head, or she really could never remember him. It was just one of those things.

Hunter looked up as the elevator was _still _going down. He checked his watch, realizing they've been moving for five minutes and counting. "Gee, kind of a slow elevator, isn't it?"

"You're telling me," Colleen replied, folding her arms over her chest. "They're almost as slow as the ones in that video game of yours."

"Yeah, but at least they made it entertaining by establishing funny conversations with each other."

"And we're not?"

Hunter flinched and gave an embarrassed little grin, hoping that she didn't take it as him calling her boring.

"So what's the plan, 'unter?" Colleen said, turning her head away.

_Aw shoot. _Hunter winced at her tone and gulped. "Well, that's easy. We find Exile, get him out of here and blow this place up sky-high, as usual. We don't want Parvo to keep information about the Klónos Project so he can use it again."

"Do we even know where in the base Parvo's keeping 'im?"

"Eh, how hard can it be? Just look for the biggest lab in the base and we'll find him."

Suddenly the gentle hum of the working machines died down as soon as they felt the elevator hit the bottom. It took them a little by surprise as the sudden stop interrupted their conversation. The doors of the elevator opened, revealing a sight that Hunter and Colleen really wish they hadn't bumped into.

"I…Would not have predicted this…"

"Ugh, don't even say that, 'untie. 'Specially when we're goin' into enemy territory."

Cano-Mutants, at least three of them were standing guard by the door. And they were armed to boot. Odds are pretty good they were lining up to either go to another floor or to the surface.

Hunter gave a nervous chuckle, slowly inching to the elevator button. "Uhhh…Heheh, gee, this isn't our floor, is it? I'm so sorry. Please, don't mind us, we'll just-"

A Cano-Mutant shoved its hand through the doors before they could close, holding them open to keep the Rovers from escaping. It snarled at them, making the Rovers back away to the back of the elevator.

Hunter gulped and stammered. "O-Oh, you want to go up? Sorry buddy, but this elevator is going down. You'll just have to wait for the next one!"

Realizing they're not going anywhere like this Colleen jumped forward with a karate yell, slamming her foot into the Cano-Mutant's face. The creature shot back away from the elevator from the attack, causing the group to open fire on the Rovers. They weren't just lucky that the elevator doors closed just in time, but they were bulletproof as well.

"You do know this elevator only goes back up to the surface, right?" Colleen said, just in case Hunter was planning on picking another floor.

"I'm kind of aware of that by now," Hunter replied, his eyes on the elevator doors as the bullets kept striking on the other side.

* * *

><p>"Look, I'm sorry! But how else would I have gotten us inside?"<p>

Blitz couldn't believe Shag was giving him the cold shoulder. Out of all the Rovers, _Shag_.

The Sheepdog mumbled back at him which took Blitz a few seconds to decipher what he just said. He pointed at his shoulder then rubbed it with a whine. Blitz huffed and folded his arms over his chest.

"Don't be a big baby, it's just a little bruise," he said to the Sheepdog. "We're lucky it's just a bruise and not a rocket blowing us to bits!"

Shag recalled the Cano-Mutants with their big scary rocket launchers and whimpered, finally nodding and mumbling in agreement to Blitz's point.

Blitz sighed, glad to hear that's over and done with. He looked over at the Track Rover all banged up in a corner of the elevator. It crashed violently against the elevator's dense metal and probably wouldn't run anymore if the oil leaking out of its underside was any indication. And while their armor took most of the blow, Blitz had to admit that they were lucky they got out of that with just a few bruises.

Alex stood by the elevator doors, his arms folded over his chest as he eyed the elevator buttons, a look of discontent on his face. This was the last place he wanted to come back to. To go back to the nostalgic hallways of Parvo's hidden base, reliving the painful memories when he roamed these halls like a tool, like a mindless puppet of the General's before the memories – Exile's memories – began to haunt him.

"Don't tell me you're giving me dhe cold shoulder too," Blitz huffed as he noted Alex's back facing him.

Alex snapped out of his thoughts. "Eh? Oh, no, sorry. I was just…Thinking…"

"Thinking? Thinking about what?"

"About…" Alex paused. "About…Ehhh…It-It's nothing," he shook his head. "Forget it."

Blitz eyed him, but shrugged and left it at that.

Alex's eyes wandered to the floor. Would he really be willing to talk about it anyway? Ever since this elevator started moving down he hasn't been able to stop thinking about those five days he's been down here. Remembering and thinking of the times he's worked together with the Cano-Mutants, how he worked alongside them. How could he tell those things to Blitz without sounding stupid and getting the evil eye in the process?

_Yeah, I've been thinking about all the times I've been working with the Cano-Mutants and how I was discovering my powers. It felt pretty cool learning I could shoot things from my eyes, tinkering and upgrading their equipment and making bombs, ripping doors off their hinges and sometimes getting praises from the Groomer for my actions. I mean, not that I'm actually proud of any of those things or anything._

That conversation would go well.

"Slow moving elevator," he heard Blitz's comment.

"Heh, yeah," Alex agreed.

It took a few more minutes of waiting until the elevator hummed to a halt. The Rovers heard the elevator doors open and immediately hugged the walls next to them, staying out of sight for whoever may be waiting beyond the doors.

Three Cano-Mutants waltzed in with their weapons at the ready, apparently hoping to catch any intruders. Alex lashed out and struck the back of a Cano-Mutant's neck, knocking it out. The other two Cano-Mutants swung around to meet their attackers, in the process getting their weapons sliced in half by Blitz's super claws. Once disarmed Shag grabbed them both, slammed their heads together to knock them out and threw them into the back of the elevators.

Once taken care of the Rovers stepped out of the elevator. Alex pressed the button on the panel outside to close the elevator doors behind them, sealing the knocked out Cano-Mutants inside.

"Well, we won't be getting out dhat way anymore," Blitz commented with a shrug.

"Maybe, but you know there's no turning back now," Alex said once he checked the coast was clear.

"So, what's the plan?"

"First, we got to find where they're keeping your friend."

"Shouldn't we be finding Hunter first?"

Shag whimpered. Alex and Blitz turn their heads to the Sheepdog, who was at the moment mumbling and barking into a walkie-talkie. Where does he keep getting these things? They're in his fur coat, aren't they? What else is hiding in that thick fur coat of his? Their extra stash of weapons? Spare armor parts? Snacks?

Shag shook his head at them and pointed to the walkie-talkie, letting out a whimper as he did.

"You can't get through to them?" Alex said, figuring out what Shag's telling them.

Blitz groaned in annoyance and sagged his shoulders. "Great, dhat's just perfect. Dhe moment we go underground and dhe signal goes bad. I'm calling our service provider about dhis after this is over."

Alex pondered what to do. They can't really go around without at least checking on the others. There has to be a way to bypass this little problem and get in touch with the others. Maybe if they could find some way to extend their communicator's signal strength to actually breach through these thick metal walls…

"I got it," Alex said with a snap of his fingers. "I know how we can get in contact with them."

Blitz looked at Alex. "How?"

"Leave it to me. I've been here before, so I know where to look. Follow me."

Leading the way Alex ventured further into the hallways of the hidden base. The walks down the halls were nostalgic…A little too nostalgic. Alex felt a chill go up his spine with every corner he took, recognizing each hall he came to.

He walked down this hall with a dog in his grasp, taking him to the Cano-Mutators.

He bumped into a Cano-Mutant once there and almost got his head bitten off.

He carried spare parts through here after a successful theft.

His mouth was dry as he relieved those moments, but he kept his focus on the task at hand.

Being silent and stealthy the group made it to a door. They silently peered in and saw two guards inside. Cano-Mutants again, why are they not surprised. They were keeping their eyes on the security monitors, monitoring the security cameras of the base.

All it took was a tennis ball. They rolled it into the room and had it expel sleeping gas. The guards, caught completely by surprise, were soon knocked out.

With the coast clear the Rovers waltzed inside the security room, locked the door behind them and tied up the guards for good measure with a rope Shag provided them from his fur coat. _That dog has everything_, Alex thought.

"Okay, so now what?" Blitz asked, wanting to know what their next move is.

Alex eyed the computer monitor. He looked at the keyboard, hovering his fingers over the keys deciding on what to do. He pressed a button, switching the views on the cameras. He pressed another, it did the same. He pressed a third one and brought up something else, data and applications from the facility itself.

"I think I can use this to get in touch with Hunter," Alex said.

"How?"

"Let me think." Alex looked at the table top. On one end of it he found the communications used to transmit messages through the whole base, the PA system. His inherited intellect began to go to work. He went over to the machine and got to work, messing with the machine's settings and frequencies.

If Exile can fix and unfix anything, then maybe he too can…

Blitz and Shag huddled around the working dog, trading curious glances at each other. Alex took his communication headset and adjusted its frequencies, getting the necessary data he needed to make this work.

When he was nearly done he began to hear static from his headset. He snapped his fingers on the PA system's microphone and heard the same thing come through his headset. He smirked. He then adjusted the frequency and sensitivity on the PA system until he could pick up what sounded to be Hunter and Colleen exchanging remarks; something about expecting an ambush in enemy territory and how this never would've happened to James Bond.

"Hunter? Colleen?" Alex said into the system. "Can you hear me?"

"_Alex? Is that you?"_

"_Dah…_I-I mean, yes, it's me."

"_I'm glad to hear you, buddy. This place is like dead-zone central. Is everyone there with you?"_

Alex glanced back at Shag and Blitz. "Yes, we're all here. We're here in one of the security rooms in the base. Where are you two?"

"Up in the elevator shaft," Hunter replied. Both he and Colleen had opened the emergency shaft up on the elevator's roof to climb out, or else risk being cornered by the Cano-Mutants beyond the elevator doors.

"The welcoming committee wasn't too welcoming," Hunter added. "We're gonna need another way into the base. You got any maps from where you are?"

"We'll check." Alex was already on the computer investigating the data. Finding something to do Blitz stayed by the door, keeping watch for any other guards that might come their way. Shag stayed near Alex, curiously watching what he's doing.

Meanwhile in the elevator shaft Colleen found something they could use to move forward. "Say, 'unter, there's a vent here. Maybe we could use it to sneak inside."

Hunter walked over to the vent and took a good look at it. He easily pried the cover off and measured the space of the vent. He smiled and nodded to Colleen.

"Good call, Colleen! This should get us inside no problem!"

Colleen giggled. "Thanks, I do my best."

Back in the security room Blitz heard footsteps coming through the locked door, but they continued on, passing the door and down the hall, oblivious to their presence. Nonetheless Blitz was on edge. "Hurry it up dhere, Alex. It'll only be a matter of time before dhey find us."

"Quit rushin' me," Alex growled.

The white-furred Husky continued working on the computer, soon finding the data he was looking for. It was a map of the whole facility. It had everything they needed and then some. "Got it," Alex smirked.

"_Hunter? Colleen?"  
><em>

"We hear ya, Alex," Hunter answered. "You found something?"

"_Uh-huh, we found a map of the place. Where are you two again?"_

"In a…Uhhh…In the air vents."

"_Really?"_

"Really," Hunter said with a sigh, trying to get comfortable.

"Not exactly our most favorite place to be in," Colleen added.

Both Hunter and Colleen were on their hands and knees, crawling their way through the vents. It was cramped, dusty, and littered with dead bugs, something that amused Hunter for an underground base. He would've complained if it wasn't their only way out.

"_Well, anyway, I think I found where they're keeping Exile."_

Hunter paused in his crawling, listening intently. "Really? Tell us where, Alex!"

"_Hold on, I'm forwarding data to our PDAs."_

Hunter pulled out his PDA from his belt. It already received the data Alex was getting and showed a more thorough map of the place than the rough one they initially had. Boy, technology can be such a wonder sometimes.

Synching the PDA's data with the map Hunter could tell where in the facility they are, and from the look of things they're not that far from the facility's laboratories. In fact, they could get there if they follow down this vent to the end.

"Good work, guys," Hunter complimented. "This'll really come in handy! Now, head to the labs. We'll meet up there, find Exile and ruin Parvo's day! Parvo's not getting away again with one of our own and he's definitely not taking the data on the Klónos Project!"

"Roger that, Hunter," Alex said through the microphone before turning it off.

"So, can we go now?" Blitz asked.

"Yeah," Alex replied as he took back his PDA and whatever else they can find useful. "We gotta get to the labs, now."


	14. The Professor

**Chapter 13: The Professor**

Blitz, Shag and Alex were quickly picking up everything they needed from the security room. Their PDAs after downloading all necessary data, sabotaging the PA system so the enemy won't make calls for backup, and making a quick check that their weapons were fully operational.

Also, not wanting to leave the knocked-out Cano-Mutants out in the open, Shag hid them under a big blanket he conjured up from within his fur coat.

Alex looked over his pistol, a tennis ball launcher. He took a deep breath and holstered away the pistol. This was it, the final stretch. Once they reach the labs he'll meet and see the Rover he was based on. His…'father' so to speak. And once that was done, they'll be complete again. He won't be needed anymore and then he'll fade away…

Alex shook his head. _No no, stop thinking like that. You'll find the Cellular Stabilizer and the Rovers will fix you up. You're going to make it just fine out of here._

Nodding to each other the three Rovers stepped out of the security room, intending on getting on the move already before they're caught.

"Okay, so where do we go from here?" Blitz asked as he glanced at every direction.

Alex looked down both ways, trying to decide. Before he could he heard incoming footsteps coming from one direction, most likely from patrolling Cano-Mutants. Not that way, then…

"This way," Alex said as he took the other direction.

* * *

><p>Deep within the facility a vent cover drops from the ceiling, bent after a good placed kick. A Golden Retriever fell afterwards from the hole in the ceiling. Crouching low as he landed he held out his trusty tennis ball launcher in both directions, making sure the coast was clear. <em>No enemies in sight<em>, he exhaled.

Hunter got up from his crouching position as he puts away his weapon. He looked up and motioned at someone. "Coast's clear," he said.

A Collie soon dropped from the vent after the clear. She crouched as she landed and then stood up, pushing her hair out from her eyes.

"That is the bloomin' last time I ever crawl in a vent," she said to the male.

"Oh, trust me, it won't be the last time given our line of work," Hunter replied with a smile.

Colleen rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me."

Hunter chuckled and looked down both directions. The hallway felt rather…Gloomy. The lights weren't as bright as they should be, and it was eerily quiet. He mused they must be in a part of the facility its staff rarely travel through. Good for them at least, less chance of being caught.

"So, where to next?" Colleen asked, looking down both ways.

"Well," Hunter said as he pulled out his PDA and looking up the data Alex hooked them up with. "According to the map the labs are just down this hallway. Give or take a few minutes of walking."

Colleen looked down the direction Hunter pointed to and nodded. "All right, well then, let's get going, shall we?"

"Right."

As cautious as they could the two Rovers went on. The atmosphere couldn't be more gloomy and…Well, endgame'ish. There was little noise through these paths outside of the gentle hum of machines and devices beyond the walls and closed doors, the gentle rattling sounds of the air vents as the A/C did its work.

A couple of Cano-Mutants or two would uncommonly cross their paths as they patrolled the halls. Hunter and Colleen would duck out of their way, hiding behind corners or behind closed doors. Lucky for them Cano-Mutants were never too bright, and often they would just go on their merry way without noticing them.

"You know, I got to hand it to Parvo, it couldn't have been easy getting this whole thing underground, and under all this sand," Hunter commented the further they got into the facility. "It must've been a nightmare!"

"And a safety hazard," Colleen added as she looked at the walls. "One imperfection or accident and the whole facility could cave in. Folks could be buried and suffocate under all this."

"Just like every underground base we've been in."

"That's different, the ground you can at least hold into place. Sand just gets everywhere and you can't really hold it in place."

Hunter shrugged. "My sandcastles can."

"Oh brother," Colleen sighed, deciding to leave the conversation at that.

Eventually the couple reaches the doors they were looking for at the turn of a corner, just at the end of the hall. Just where the map said it would. The laboratories should be beyond the door.

"That should be it," Hunter whispered as he pressed his back to the wall, peaking out from behind the corner. Unfortunately for them though there were at least three Cano-Mutants guarding said doors.

"How are we going to get past them?" Colleen whispered back.

Fortunately for them they were all equipped with the solution for their problem.

A tennis ball rolled up to the Cano-Mutant's feet, and before they could react and wonder what's a ball doing down here they were gassed with sleeping gas. One by one they collapsed, sound asleep.

When the gas dispersed the two Rovers walked up to the sleeping mutants, once again at awe at how such a simple trick always works again and again and again.

"See? No problem," Hunter said with a smirk.

Colleen folded her arms over her chest, arching an eyebrow. "Isn't it getting' a little too tiring how we're always solving these problems with sleeping gas?"

Hunter shrugged, "It works, doesn't it? Why fix what isn't broke?"

"All I'm sayin' is we could use some diversity so it won't get boring," Colleen said as they both went through the doors.

"Aw come on, don't tell me you're getting bored of watching these guys fall for the same trick over and over and…And…"

Hunter trailed off as he laid eyes on the laboratory. Aligned to the wall on their left were numerous tanks, all solid steel but with one small window on each. Inside were full to the brim with water or chemicals, but empty of anything else. Bubbles surged from the bottom of the tanks as they were in use, but their purpose unknown to the Rovers.

Cables and wires snaked from the top of the tanks up to the ceiling, giving them the energy and power needed to keep them running. What they were really for they didn't really wish to know, the mere thought making them feel ill to the pit of their stomachs.

Parvo's been busy. Way too busy.

"Hunter…" Colleen gasped, moving closer to Hunter.

"Tanks," Hunter whispered, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Just like Alex said…How he was stuffed into one every night…"

Colleen counted them. "There are so many of 'em, 'untie…Why would Parvo need so many of 'em at once…"

It then clicked in their minds. It was obvious from the get-go once they realized what the Klónos Project was, but seeing all the tanks together in a formidable row, all of them in working order only confirmed their suspicions.

"They're not just making one copy; they're going to make a whole army of 'em." Hunter said, coming to the horrifying conclusion.

"But already? Wouldn't it make a wee' bit of more sense if they start with just one copy before they give the go-ahead for an army?"

"He must be getting them ready to launch as soon as possible when they're done making their second one," Hunter said. "Can you just imagine it? A whole army of Exiles. Man, Exile would freak."

Colleen looked at them all and rested her left elbow on her right hand, biting the tip of her thumb with worry. All of these tanks to make an army? Just how much would this affect Exile? Who knows if he's already facing horrible side-effects after going through the process a second time, but to go through it again for a whole army?

"Oh 'unter, I'm worried," Colleen said. "What if we're too late? What if Exile's not…"

Hunter frowned as he noted Colleen's worried-stricken face. He looked back at the tanks and mused what trouble Parvo had gone through for all this, and how Exile was faring through the whole process. He never really thought of how all of this would've affected Exile, if in any way. Exile may no longer even be the same dog after this.

He shook his head. No, he can't think like that. Exile's going to be okay. He'll pull through this. He's strong, and he'll hang in there until they get there.

"Hey," Hunter turned and placed his hands on Colleen's shoulders. "Exile's going to be just fine. I know how bad this looks, but Exile's a tough dog, he can handle himself. He'll hang in there for us."

Colleen nodded and tried to smile. "I know, 'unter, but this all just bloomin' scares me. Parvo's always done some nasty things, but this is taking it too far, even for him."

"I know, and that's why we're not going to let him have his way. We'll find him and put him where he belongs, behind bars. Just hang in there for me, Colleen. All right?"

Colleen looked at Hunter, her eyes meeting his. Of all the Rovers on the team, Hunter was the one who could always lift her spirits up and make her smile, bring that confidence and morale back to her, to everyone. She knew that she could count on him for anything.

"Now," Hunter went on, smiling at the Collie. "We've already made it this far, so let's go find Exile, and bring him home."

Colleen smiled, and nodded. "I'm with you, 'untie."

Regaining their confidence and optimism the two continued further into the laboratory, keeping their eyes forward and away from the formidable row of capsules. They got 5 hours left before the estimated time is up, and when it does this mission could go on a whole new level of ugly.

As they went on they kept their eyes open for anything that could lead them to Exile.

Was he in that tank? No.

Is he behind those? No.

Where is he? They were in the right place, right?

They eventually reached the end of the room, a door standing between them and a new section of the labs they could explore. It felt like a lottery at this rate. Could Exile be back here? Or is it just another room full of tubes, cables, pipes and tanks?

"Only one way to find out," Hunter answered.

Ready for what they might find the two of them barged through the door. As suspected, just another section of the lab. At least this one wasn't full of those tanks; it looked more like how a run of the mill laboratory should look like. Desks, beakers, tubes, pencils…

"Huh?"

But there was something new in this one. There was a human in the room. A scientist from the looks of it, if the white lab coat he's wearing is of any indication. It just occurred to the two Rovers that they were looking at the professor Aki mentioned back at Mission Control; the creator of the Klónos Project.

"Oh!" The human yelped, startled from the Rover's seemingly random appearance, and in a fright he tried to make a dash for the exit.

"Hold it right there, pal!" Hunter barked at the human. Fortunately his command made the human freeze in his tracks. Obeying humans, who knew?

"You're not goin' anywhere," Colleen said as they both approached the professor.

The professor backed away from them, backing himself into a table, bumping a few items off the top in the process. "H-Help! Help! Guards!" The human cried.

Hunter flinched and groaned._ Oh for Pete's sakes…3…2…1…_

Right on cue two armed Cano-Mutants barged into the room. They raised their weapons upon seeing the Rovers and didn't hesitate to open fire on them, no matter the volatile and flammable chemicals that littered the room. The Rovers to leap out of the way and took cover while the professor, amidst the barrage of bullets, ducked under his desk for cover.

From behind cover Colleen shot a look at Hunter. "Blimey, they never do decide to come quietly, do they?"

"Nope," Hunter replied as he braced his tennis ball launcher. "Get ready to move, Colleen. I'm about to try something I saw on TV once."

"You never do pay attention to their warnings about not tryin' those things at home, do ya?"

"Not when it looks like something that'll come in handy." Hunter suddenly realized what kind of message he was sending to the readers and tried to fix it. "Um, but that doesn't mean you guys _should_ try them at home."

"We're trained professionals," Colleen added as she addressed to the readers.

"We were trained for this?"

"Hunter!"

"Back to the action!" Going back to the situation at hand Hunter waits for a beat in-between fire. Once he found it he emerged from behind cover and threw himself to the side, opening fire on them with his tennis ball launcher as he flew through the air. The shots all made their mark as they struck the weapons right off the Cano-Mutant's paws in an impressive display of marksmanship.

Stunned from the maneuver the Cano-Mutants were oblivious to the Collie coming at them until it was too late, both of them finding themselves on the receiving end of a couple of well placed high kicks to the face. Down and out.

"Nice," Hunter grinned as he picked himself up to his feet.

"Thank you, 'untie," Colleen smiled as she patted the dirt off her hands.

With the Cano-Mutants out of the way the Rovers turned their attention to the professor. Noticing the sudden end of the gunfight he emerged from under his desk and tried to make a dash for the exit, but Hunter raced and cut him off from the exit with his Super Speed.

"Not so fast," Hunter said, folding his arms over his chest as he stood between him and the door.

The scientist backed away in fright from the Retriever. He only went so far back until he bumped into the Collie. He yelped and backed away from her, bumping into his table yet again. The guards did little good to stop them, and now he was trapped. "H-How did you two get in there?" He asked, stuttering with his words.

"Espionage," Hunter said with a smirk. "Not as easy as you might think."

Colleen shot a glance at Hunter before going back to the professor. "Professor Alfred, we presume?"

The scientist did a double-take on the Collie, a bit surprised this one knows his name. "Y-Yes, that's me. How do you know who I am? W-Who are you?"

"We're the Road Rovers," Hunter said, keeping his eyes on the professor. "And we're here to pull the plug on your little project, doc."

"W-What? Pull the plug?"

"That's right," Colleen affirmed with a nod. "You're out of business, professor. You won't be making anything anymore for Parvo."

"B-But you can't!" The professor sounded genuinely upset over this. "Don't you see? This is a scientific milestone! We can't stop now!"

"Scientific milestone?" Colleen shook her head, trying to wrap her head around whatever it is that makes the professor think this project was ever a good idea. "Do you realize what you're doin'? This isn't somethin' you should be proud of!"

The scientist moved around the desk, waving a dismissing hand at the Rovers. "You wouldn't understand. Every year more and more good soldiers are lost overseas in wars and missions while the military's enlistment declines. Less capable people choose to enroll into the military while more soldiers are lost in unnecessary squabbles and civil wars. But with the Klónos Project, we could change that! We wouldn't have to worry ever again about fatherless children, lost loved ones or destroyed families. We wouldn't even have to bother with a list of casualties, or make huge campaigns for new recruits."

Hunter and Colleen traded glances. The professor had some good points about the Klónos Project at first. Children would always have their fathers or mothers around, wives and husbands would never stand by their doors wondering if their loved ones would ever return, families would never have to wake up every morning asking themselves if the military would knock on their door with awful news that day. But beyond those good intentions…

"But you're _not_ working for the military," Hunter said. "You're working for Parvo, the meanest, cruelest human being there is. You're building weapons for him to use for his evil plans!"

Professor Alfred looked down at his notes and equipment on his desk and frowned.

"Yes, I know that now," he said, picking a note up from the floor. "When he approached me he said he had powerful connections. He provided me with the funding and equipment I needed for the Klónos Project. He promised me we would put the project up for good use, a deal with the military. He said all they needed was one working replica."

He remembered that day so well, The Klónos Project was Alfred's pride and joy, a theory he was studying and working on for so many years. Understandably he was frustrated and pained when the military declined the project, and he went as far as to try to show them the benefits of the project behind their backs, only to be dishonorably discharged when caught. He was lucky they didn't throw him into jail for good measure.

He fell into a depression soon after, losing both his job and dreams of revolutionizing the fields of science. He cursed the fools for not seeing the genius and benefits behind the project, and he would've done anything to prove it to them.

And then he came, with the funds and promises he needed to start the Klónos Project once and for all. Promises that he would get the recognition he deserved. It was the perfect opportunity to continue on with his dreams and ambitions.

"B-But then," the professor said, crumpling up the paper in his hands. "Then they provided the subject. Not a human, but a…A canine! The project was meant for humans, not animals! I should've seen the signs that I was being lied to, but I was so…Intoxicated working on the Klónos Project, my dreams, I could care less! I couldn't stop, and then, before I knew it, I've done it! A fully working replica!"

Hunter and Colleen exchanged glances again. Canine? Exile…

"How can you sound so proud of yourself?" Colleen spat out in disgust. "This isn't some harmless little science project! Because of you there's a dyin' dog out there feeling responsible and repulsive for all of this and for what he's become!"

"Dying dog?" The professor looked back at the Rovers. "The replica's still alive?"

"That's right," Hunter replied, taking steps around the desk toward the professor. "The 'replica' that's not supposed to have feelings or memories. Well guess what? He _does_ have feelings, and he's scared to death of dying because of how _you_ designed this project! And he doesn't approve either of your project or for what you made him for!"

The professor backed away from the Retriever in fear, but Hunter persisted, closing the gap between them.

"So, this is what you're going to do," Hunter growled, grabbing the professor by the lab coat and pulling him closer. "You're going to shut this all down, give us our dognapped team mate back and tell us how we can save our friend from dying." Hunter looked at him straight in the eye, and then said "are we clear?"

"Y-Yes, w-we're clear!" The professor stammered, scared half to death.

Hunter slowly released his grip on the professor. Really? He'll do it? Just like that?

The professor backed away from them in fright. He backed up to one of the main computers in the room and tapped a few keys on the terminal. He first inputted a password to gain access to the main controls.

He shot a quick glance back at the Rovers before inputting a quick command into the terminal. There's no way he was going to let a group of…Mutts ruin his work. He can get away with taking down the tanks in this lab, but losing the subject wasn't an option. He issued a silent alarm to him, the man who made his dream a reality. When that was done he then satisfied the Rovers by shutting down the tanks.

"S-See?" The professor said as he turned back to the Rovers. "All of the incubation tanks are now offline and the project was put on suspension. The Klónos Project is…Essentially no more."

Hunter and Colleen turned their heads to the collection of tanks in the lab. The gentle hums of the machines slowly died down and the lights of the laboratory dimmed as all activity ceased. From the look of things the professor was telling the truth.

"Really?" Hunter said. "Well, that was easy enough."

"Now, on to the next thing," Colleen said as she turned back to the professor. "Where's our friend? The one you used for this awful project."

"You mean the canine?" The professor asked. He took a step back and rubbed the back of his head as he saw everyone's eyes on him. "Yes, I suppose that was an obvious question."

"Take us to where they're keeping him, now." Hunter demanded.

"All right, all right," the professor held his hands up defensively. "He's in the central room. I-I'll take you to him."

The professor turned and led them through the laboratory, past the tanks and down the stairs to another level of the laboratories. Hunter and Colleen followed closely, keeping their eyes open for any other Cano-Mutants in the room, not to mention just in case the professor tries anything funny.

"We better hurry," Colleen said to Hunter.

"Yeah," Hunter nodded. "Before Parvo finds out we're in here. I mean, if he hasn't already."

* * *

><p>They were close. So close they could almost taste it.<p>

He had mixed feelings about this project. He would be stepping away from his tried and true formula of the Cano-Mutants, but if it worked the risks would be worth it.

And worth it it was. For five days everything went perfectly. Better than anything he could've hoped for. For five day they were always one step ahead of those infuriating Road Rovers. Taking everything they needed without so much as a hitch. It was all simply perfect. For once it really looked like everything was going his way.

That is, until that idiot professor ruined it. It wasn't supposed to develop a conscious, or rebel; it wasn't even supposed to think for itself, let alone turn against its own creators and sabotage everything.

But for all intent and purposes it was just a little snag in the plan. He really shouldn't have expected everything to go flawlessly on a project of this magnitude. But at least now they were back in business, and they learned from their mistakes. Now with the Cellular Stabilizer in their grasp, this time everything was going to be perfect.

Or it should've been…

"Groomer! What's taking so long?" General Parvo was infuriated. Groomer knew it. Everyone knew it. When he was angry he was sure to bring it to everyone's attention. "It's been twenty four hours, how can there not be any progress on the project?"

"I-I don't know, General," Groomer replied, trying her best to stay calm.

Ever since she returned with the nuclear battery Parvo and the professor immediately restarted the Klónos Project once everything was set. But somewhere, somehow, something went wrong.

She couldn't understand it. They did everything by the book. According to their research, notes and previous success they should've had a suitable body by now at the least. Of course their resources weren't as vast as before due to the first replica's creation, but an additional problem delayed their work. The nuclear battery wasn't working at full capacity, and the generator's many security measures were slowing them down. They were way behind schedule.

There was only one conclusion they both could come to. And needless to say, Parvo was less than pleased. "Did you bring me a malfunctioning nuclear core?"

"N-No, General! I was so careful with it. I don't know how this could've happened, I-"

"I don't want to hear any more of your excuses!" Parvo yelled, gritting his teeth as his blood pressure was through the roof. "We were so close, Groomer! So very close to creating the perfect soldier!"

Parvo choked in the middle of his rant, falling into another one of his violent coughing fits. Always at the ready Groomer stood from her chair and held out a dispenser to the General.

"I know how important this is for you, General," Groomer said, trying to sweet-talk the General as she dispensed a tablet into the General's mouth, ending his coughs. "You've put so much effort into this project. But don't you worry; I'll make sure everything will go as planned. Not even the Road Rovers are here to stop you now, I've made sure to at least destroy that traitorous mutt. They will never find us here."

"And then," she continued as she leaned against the General. "Once you have your super army, we will continue your plans for complete. World. Domination."

Parvo looked at Groomer as he collected his breath. If there is one thing she knows what to do is manage to calm him down after one of his fits. She may not always get everything done right, but he'd be rather lost without her, even though he wouldn't outright admit it.

"Yes, you're right," Parvo finally said, his confidence coming over once more. "This time, the world will belong to me! No one will be able to stand up to my new army, not even the Road Rovers!"

He laughed. There is no way the Road Rovers will stop him now. They don't even have a clue of their whereabouts under the Sahara Desert. They haven't found them yet all this time; he's more than positive they'll never find them now in time before-

"What was that?" Parvo spat as an alert interrupted him.

Groomer returned to the computers to investigate. It was the silent alarm from the laboratories. Someone must've triggered it to notify them. But that wasn't the only alert the computers were giving them.

"Someone has shut down the tanks," Groomer shouted to the General.

"What did you say?" Parvo snarled, stomping his way to the computer as Groomer worked on it. "What does that professor think he's doing? Put the laboratories onscreen!"

Groomer linked up to the security cameras of the laboratory. The first image that greeted them were the pack of Cano-Mutants sprawled on the floors, unconscious.

"It's the Road Rovers, General!" Groomer gasped.

Parvo narrowed his eyes, curling his robotic hand into a fist. Onscreen showed two of the Road Rovers, and they were being led deeper into the laboratory by the professor. He was leading them to the central hub of the laboratory. Leading them straight to their prisoner!

"I knew them not finding this place was too good to be true!" Parvo furiously slammed his fist on the table, nearly breaking it in two. "Call the Cano-Mutants! Seal the exits! The Rovers must not leave this place!"

"Right away, General!" Groomer said, activating the comm. system to all Cano-Mutants in the facility.

The message was clear. "All Cano-Mutants be on guard! We have intruders within the facility! Find them and destroy them!"

* * *

><p>"Over here," Alex whispered from behind a corner, holding his hand out to signal the others.<p>

Quietly Blitz and Shag moved up to where Alex was taking cover. Things weren't going as smoothly as they wanted to. Cano-Mutants were keeping an eye out for them. It seems that after they came out of the elevator they were aware that there was at least an intruder in the base. Whether or not they alerted the big bad himself remained to be seen, but the problem was that they had to take detours and other routes to avoid the more patrolled areas, leading them further out and away from their destination than they wanted to.

"Dhis is getting us nowhere," Blitz said as he kept an eye out as they hid. "We're not getting any closer to dhe labs are we? The Cano-Mutants are all over the place."

"I'm trying," Alex growled under his breath as he looked through his PDA, trying to see where they are.

"All dhis sneaking around, it's getting us nowhere fast. You know we're just going to get caught eventually if we don't get dhere already; it's only a matter of time."

"I'm _trying_…!"

"You gotta find us another way to get dhere fast, Alex. I don't work well under pressure and I'm beginning to shed with all this tension on my shoulders. All this sneaking around isn't good for me and-"

"**I'M TRYING!"**

Shag yelped in fright from Alex's outburst. Blitz jumped with a scream and fell out of their hiding spot and flat on his back on the floor. The impact stunned him as he lay on the floor for a second before opening his eyes. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed two Cano-Mutants towering over him, their eyes glaring down at him.

Blitz whimpered and complained. "See? What'd I tell ya? I'm no good at dhis sneaking around!"

The Cano-Mutants snarled at the Doberman. Realizing what he just did Alex leapt out from behind the corner and threw himself at the Cano-Mutants, colliding his arms over the Cano-Mutants' necks and tackling them to the floor with a clothesline maneuver.

"Get up!" Alex barked as he pulled Blitz up to his feet by his collar.

The commotion got the nearby Cano-Mutants' attention. But it didn't end there. Just as they all reacted to the commotion their comm. systems activated and delivered a message from their superiors.

"_All Cano-Mutants be on guard! We have intruders within the facility! Find them and destroy them!"_

The alarm was then triggered as the blaring alarm began to sound throughout the whole base, and the Rovers knew right then and there they were caught.

"Good going, Blitz," Alex remarked as he cuffed Blitz upside the head.

"Me? You were dhe one who scared me out from our hiding place," Blitz snarled in defense.

Blitz looked at Shag as he mumbled something. Blitz was stunned.

"You're blaming me _too_?"

A shot flew straight over their heads. The trio looked down the hall to see the rest of the Cano-Mutants mounting an attack after them with their blasters. Alex covered his head and ducked, Shag yelped and threw himself to the floor while covering his head, and Blitz made a little dance as their shots threatened to blow his feet and legs off.

Alex casted his gaze out to the incoming Cano-Mutants and couldn't resist anymore. He narrowed his eyes at them and shot them with his ice vision. The freezing beam struck their weapons first to render them useless before spreading the beam to their bodies, encasing them all in a block of ice.

But he didn't stop there. He made sure to encase them and the whole hallway in a wall of ice. The improvised wall should slow them all down and give them a chance to outrun them and find a safe place to hide.

"Go!" Alex shouted at Blitz and Shag.

Blitz and Shag backed away from the action before going into a sprint down the hall while Alex kept his focus on the wall of ice. Once he was satisfied with the thickness and hardening of the wall he stopped and followed the others.

He didn't take more than three steps when he slowed to a stop and collapsed on one knee. He panted as he held his chest, feeling exhausted after what he just did. His heart was beating something fierce, and for a second he thought the pain in his chest was foreshadowing an incoming heart attack. He gritted his teeth and pulled himself up, trying to pull himself together.

"Not now," he panted, grunting as his chest ached. "Don't degrade on me now, body."

* * *

><p>"Blimey," Colleen gasped as she took cover from incoming fire. The sudden alarm freaked them all out, but nothing freaked them out more than the immediate response of the Cano-Mutants.<p>

"What happened?" Hunter inquired to the professor as he held him back behind cover, his tennis ball launcher on one hand. The professor, as they half-expected, was cowering from the gunfire, stuttering with his words.

"It m-must've been the machines," the professor said, lying through his teeth. "They must've t-tripped the alarm when I shut them down."

"Oh, so it wasn't Blitz again with his shenanigans," Hunter joked.

The professor shook his head. "I-I don't know who this Blitz is, but he sounds like a magnet for trouble."

"You get used to it," Hunter said after taking a moment to return fire.

"W-we best hurry to the central hub," the professor shouted over the sounds of the shoot-out. "They will try to seal everything off to contain us from getting anywhere."

"You're kidding," Hunter sighed, but he knew that would be the most obvious thing to do. "All right. Colleen, you and the professor take the lead, I'll cover you!"

"Roger, 'unter," Colleen affirmed.

When the moment presented itself Hunter emerged from behind cover and returned fire, knocking out the opposition with the tennis balls he fired. Colleen took the opportunity to make a run for it with the professor, enemy fire zipping past over their heads as Hunter tried to stay close, keeping his eyes on their enemies and returning fire.

* * *

><p>The blaring alarm almost had them all deaf as they ran through the many halls. Blitz mentally prayed there were no Cano-Mutants beyond every corner, not wanting to stick and fight when he knew they could easily get cornered now that everyone was on high alert.<p>

"Come on, hurry up!" Blitz shouted as he slid to a stop in the middle of an intersecting hall, urging to his other two team mates to catch up.

He was mildly amazed that he was the one in the lead. Shag was known to run pretty fast whenever something that terrified him was after his tail, and Exile…Well, if he was pretty athletic and strong, then surely Alex would be the same, right?

But he could see why they were lagging behind. Alex looked like he was out of breath, looking like he just ran a marathon across town or something. His face was also contorting in pain as one hand was on his chest. Shag only lagged behind so Alex could keep up, worried that he might drop from exhaustion.

Alex stopped once he caught up with Blitz, placing his hands over his knees as he panted, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. He held a hand up to the others, hoping they would give him a minute to catch his breath.

Blitz and Shag eyed him with concern. Where have they've seen this before?

"Yah!" Blitz yelped in surprise as the trio heard loud metal slamming the ground next to them, just witnessing a metallic shutter cutting them off from the hall to their right.

"They're sealing us down," Alex rasped between breaths as he stood up straight, wiping the side of his hand over his chin.

A gunshot flew right over their heads and struck the wall, startling the Rovers for the umpteen time today. They all swirled around to look down the hall they came from and heard the thundering footsteps of Cano-Mutants chasing after them.

"Run!" Blitz yelled, and one more time the group was running for dear life. All except Alex, who stayed behind to make sure to slow the enemy down. He narrowed his eyes and shot one more time with his ice vision, coating the floor in a sheet of ice and resulting in a humorous scenario of their pursuers slipping and falling face-first into the floor. Alex smirked from the amusement and turned to follow his comrades.

But then it happened again. He felt weak, his body felt heavy and he was short of breath once more. His hearing slightly went and his throat dried up. He slowed down a few steps in his run and held his side, burning from fatigue. His body was failing him, this time a much more severe case as he fell on his hands and knees.

Blitz noticed the collapsing Husky, stopped and returned to his side.

"Come on, Alex," Blitz pleaded as he tried to help the Husky up to his feet. "We gotta move before-"

Blitz's eyes widened when he saw the ominous metal of a shutter threatening to cut off their escape route. It would've worked too if Shag didn't see it coming and actually held it up, keeping it open for his two companions to join him on the other side.

Alex was panting, his body so heavy that he couldn't move. He then realized what was going on that made him feel so useless. It was his powers. He figured it out that every time he used them his body would degrade faster, burn up any energy he had in reserve and tire him out almost immediately. It sped up his metabolism with every use. He's used them so many times one after another, and at this rate he'll be nothing but a burden on them.

"Blitz, go," he said between breaths, trying to shove Blitz away. "Just go."

Blitz blinked, his ears erect from his friend's words. "What? Are you crazy? If I leave you here, dhe Cano-Mutants will catch you!"

"Better me than you," Alex growled, finally managing to get up to one knee, but no further. "Just go, before that shutter goes down and you get stuck with me and the bad guys!"

Blitz looked back at the shutter, seeing Shag struggling in keeping it up. His yelps said it all: 'Hurry up, I can't hold it up for much longer!'

Blitz looked back at Alex, his mind racing to decide on what to do. He looked back at the shutter and actually considered in taking the opportunity and run from the enemies. But he returned his gaze back on Alex, and couldn't take his eyes off of him. His previous conversation with Hunter was echoing in his mind.

"_But I promise. Next time I won't be selfish and stay behind. Next time, if one of our team mates needs help, I'll be dhere."_

"No. I am not leaving you behind, Alex!"

"Blitz, just-_Ach!_ Hey! W-What are you-"

"I said I'm not leaving you behind!" Blitz wasn't hearing it. He grabbed Alex and actually lifted the massive Husky up across his shoulders in a fireman's carry. The broad Doberman gritted his teeth from the additional weight, but once evenly distributing Alex's weight over both his shoulders he managed to carry him no problem.

* * *

><p>"Hurry, 'unter!" Colleen shouted.<p>

Hunter ducked from incoming fire and looked up at his team mate. She was already by the door at the end of the lab, urging him to hurry up and meet up with them before anything else happened.

He kept moving, keeping his tennis ball launcher trained at the incoming mutants and returning fire. He spotted the many other halls in the lab being sealed off by metallic shutters as he ran past them, taking into account that if he doesn't hurry he'll be cut off from Colleen, and end up at the mutants' mercy.

As Hunter went by one of the many test tanks of the lab he caught a glimpse of something coming his way. He stopped dead in his tracks with a shocked yelp as the flash of a gunshot nearly blinded him. When his eyesight returned he saw a Cano-Mutant standing right next to him, a failed sneak attack if he ever saw one. Hunter gawked at the mutant in shock.

"Graduated from the Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy, did ya?" he snarked.

The joke fell ungratefully to the mutant. He snarled and swung his massive weapon into the Rover. Hunter ducked under the swing and leapt over the mutant as it threw itself at him, and quickly made a dash to where Colleen and the professor waited for him.

The countermeasure finally caught up to the Rover as Hunter saw the metallic hide of the shutter beginning to lower between him and his goal. He threw himself and slid across the floor, sliding right under the shutter at the last minute before it sealed.

"Safe!" Hunter called with a smirk as he looked back at the shutter closing down.

* * *

><p>"Let it go!" Blitz huffed as he made it past the big Sheepdog. He glanced back at the incoming group of mutants as Shag released the shutter, sealing them away from the enemy party.<p>

Shag panted for breath, leaning against the shutter and sliding down to sit against it. Blitz, still carrying Alex over his shoulders, watched down the hall as the alarm echoed through his ears. He heard the metallic slams of more shutters in the distance sealing the perimeters, making him realize how much more dangerous and hopeless this operation is becoming with each passing minute. Who knows if they're permanently stuck in this section of the base until further notice, or if they only have one path to go with mutants now blocking their advance?

Blitz took notice of a door a few feet ahead. Heaving Alex a bit more up his shoulders Blitz moved toward the door, calling for Shag to open it for him and making sure it was safe beyond it before going in.

Peaking in the room looked like a central ventilation room if the big machine on one end of the room was anything to go by. Other than that the room was empty, free of danger and enemies.

After getting the okay Blitz followed the Sheepdog in, gritting his teeth as he supported the big dog's weight over his shoulders. He walked to a chair he spotted in the room and was grateful when Shag went ahead of him and pulled the chair up to him so he can set Alex down.

Alex groaned as he was gently dropped in the chair. He held his sides as he sat. His chest stopped hurting but right now his ribs were fiercely burning. He was beyond fatigued.

As Blitz tried to catch his breath the blaring alarm kept assaulting his ears. He mentally pouted that it wasn't _his_ fault.

* * *

><p>The alarms weren't getting any quieter, a reminder for the Rovers to hurry up before they were caught.<p>

Colleen helped Hunter up to his feet and they both followed the professor further into the labs. Given how the shutters tried to seal them away from this area of the laboratory there has to be something very important here for Parvo's operations.

"This is it," the professor said as he took his spot in front of a keypad on a sealed door.

"So, behind this big menacing door is…" Hunter studied the sturdy-looking door from top to bottom with his eyes. He could feel it. Exile's beyond this door.

The professor nodded as he pressed a few buttons into the keypad. "Yes, the key subject of the Klónos Project."

Hunter and Colleen both looked at each other. Their hearts were racing, anxious and nervous to see what's behind the door. They tried to prepare themselves mentally, just in case whatever they find could potentially assault their psyche. They've been all wondering what Exile's state could be. What if Parvo has done something beyond just keeping him captive for his evil plans?

The door slowly opened after accepting the professor's password, the light from within the room pouring out into the hall. Hunter and Colleen nodded to each other and went through the door.


	15. Eye of the Storm

**Chapter 14: Eye of the Storm  
><strong>

"Well, we're stuck."

Blitz paced the room, his eyes shifting to the door at regular intervals expecting it to open any moment with Cano-Mutants waiting to make their day. As he paced about he began to wonder exactly when this mission began to go south. He pinpointed it somewhere between crashing the Track Rover into the elevator and being blamed for the random trigger of the alarm.

His ears perked as Shag began to barricade the door with anything that wasn't nailed down to the floor. Yeah, that could hold back the Cano-Mutants, but that also means they're stuck in here. He opened his mouth to say just that to the big fur ball, but instead he shut his mouth right back without saying a word.

He looked over back at Alex. He couldn't shake his worry about him. His degradation – Or whatever it actually is – almost got them all killed back there. Luckily though he managed to lift him up and carry him away from danger, not that it did them any good in the long run. They were still pinned down from the shutters with no way out.

Despite how bad things looked Blitz still doesn't regret going back for him. He felt a pang of pride from that. No one gets left behind, right?

Alex grunted as he hoisted himself up to his feet, his left paw never leaving his side as he held it.

"How're you feeling?" Blitz asked.

"Feeling…Okay, I guess," Alex answered, trying his best not to look so weak. "I uhhh…Thanks for not leaving me behind."

Blitz shrugged. "Don't mention it."

"But, if it wasn't for me you two wouldn't have been stuck here. You should've left me behind."

Blitz shook his head. He didn't dare admit that he thought about it. "Nah, I don't ever leave a team mate behind."

"Still, you know my condition is only going to get worse." Alex's eyes lowered at the sound of that. He didn't want it to be true, but it's just what's going to happen whether he likes it or not.

The ominous feeling wasn't spared on Blitz, but he answered it with a shrug. "You're still here, so until then I'm not leaving you behind. End of story."

Alex blinked, surprised to hear such words from the Doberman. It didn't make sense. Exile's memories painted Blitz in a whole different way than what he's just seeing here. What's gotten into him?

"So, what happened?"

"Huh?" Alex shook his head, snapping out of it.

"What made you slow down back there? You were doing just fine before."

"Oh. Well, I used my ice vision to stop the mutants from following us. I think that's what caused me to fall."

Blitz arched an eyebrow. "So uhhh…Using your powers is making you weaker even faster?"

"_Dah_…I-I mean, yes."

"Then don't use them, then."

Alex rubbed the back of his neck. "Eeeh…Easier said than done."

Blitz frowned and shrugged, going back to minding his own trying to come up with a plan. It only lead to an awkward silence in the room aside from the alarm still going off periodically.

"Okay," Alex broke the silence as he looked around the room. "We need a plan to get out of here, Blitz."

Blitz growled and held his head in pain. "I'm _trying_ to come up with one, but that stupid alarm is not letting me think!"

Alex huffed and turned his head away. The door wasn't an option, Shag already saw to it by barricading it. Not to mention the shutters severely limited their options on where to go, and the Cano-Mutants actively looking for them only made the situation worse.

Alex frustratingly lowered his eyes to the floor, absently studying the metal floor until he spotted a metallic square, the texture not like the rest of the floor. He looked over at Blitz, the Doberman returning his gaze. They both looked back down at the metal spot and exchanged another glance.

Shag did the pleasure of opening the trap door, allowing Alex and Blitz to peer inside the shaft. There was a ladder for them to descend, but it looked rather dark and musty.

Alex looked over the room one more time. The big machine in the corner, the dusty layout and discarded items, it looked more like a storage room, but they now know better.

"Maintenance shaft?" Alex looked at Blitz.

Blitz shrugged. "How should I know? They've never looked like dhe type to keep dheir homes nice and tidy."

"Heh," Alex huffed with amusement. As far as he could remember he never saw the mutants – Or Parvo and Groomer for that matter – try to keep the place clean and in working order. He looked back down the shaft and came to a conclusion. "Well, only one way to go."

Blitz peered down at the darkness again and gulped. Shag shared his reluctance. "Y-You want me to go down dhere? Down this old dusty shaft…In the dark?"

Alex shrugged. "It's either this, or-"

The three Rovers jumped and turned to the door. Someone or something was throwing itself against the door, trying to get it open. The barricade Shag did was holding, but for how long they couldn't tell. Not like they were sticking around to find out anyway.

"Or that," said Alex.

Another bang prompted Shag to yelp and jump into Blitz's arm, almost knocking the dog to the floor. They had no other choice, and Blitz _hated_ it.

* * *

><p>Hunter and Colleen stared, unable to take their eyes off of what they were seeing.<p>

In front of them stood a containment tank, keeping both intruders out and captives in. And sealed inside was none other than the all too familiar Rover they were looking for.

The blue furred Husky remained standing in the backward-leaning tank like an erect statue. Shackles and restrains were clearly visible around his arms and legs, keeping him upright and secure in his prison.

"Exile," They both whispered as they approached the tank. Hunter placed a hand on the glass front as he watched his friend in the tank.

There was a mix of emotions spurring within him that he didn't know where to begin to sort them out. On one hand he was overjoyed to track his friend down, seeing him alive and well. But on the other, he was overwhelmed with guilt and sadness seeing him in this state – And theorizing on what he must've gotten through. It horrified him what one bad operation can lead to.

There didn't seem to be any scarring from where he could see, but there were syringes injected into his arms and other cables on parts of his body. Syringes that made Hunter's blood run cold, a chill going up his spine. The first subject of the Klónos Project. They had to get him out.

"We're here, buddy," Hunter talked to him, just about able to resist in shedding a tear or two. "We're here."

"We have to get 'im out," Colleen said, trying to find a way to tear open the tank to get their friend out.

"You can't," the professor said. "The subject is heavily sedated under stasis. If you open the tank without the proper procedures he'll slip into a coma from which he'd never wake up."

"Proper procedure…" Hunter gritted his teeth as he circled his hands into fists. He's so close to his friend and yet he still can't get him out. It frustrated him beyond words.

"What should we do?" He asked, turning on his heels to face the professor. "How do we get him out of there?"

The professor stared at the two dogs, his eyes shifting from one to another. His heart was racing against his chest, scared half to death to be in the presence of these canines. His mind was full of questions and wonders when the General presented to him the subject for the Klónos Project. He had so many questions, and they only added when he successfully created the first replica. He of course never got his answers before the replica escaped, and now these newcomers, these…Cano-Sapiens were threatening to shut down his work, and lose it all forever.

"Professor!" Hunter yelled.

He yelped in fright. "A-All right! I can get him out. B-But I believe I must warn you, your friend has been in stasis for about two weeks now. Combine that with the numerous experiments due to the project, I can't say for sure if he'll walk away from this without any long-term effects."

Hunter and Colleen looked at each other, then back at the tank, the professor's warning felt heavy on their shoulders. Getting Exile out alive from here is one thing, but after today is anybody's guess on what would happen. It could end up just as they feared; Exile may or may not be the same again.

"We…We can worry about that later," Hunter said with a heavy heart. "Right now we got to get him out of there. I doubt those shutters are going to keep the Cano-Mutants out of this part of the lab for long. Professor, get him out, now."

The authority behind his words was heavy, and it was just enough to get the professor to move his feet and head to the terminal next to the tank. The professor glanced at the Rovers before going to work on his own thing.

Colleen stayed near the tank, keeping a watchful eye on Exile. He looked to be in peace, completely at ease as he sleeps within the tank, completely oblivious to the events transpiring around him just outside his tank. She wondered though how he really feels in there.

"Oh, Exile," she whispered as she pressed a hand to the glass.

Suddenly the laboratory echoed with loud thuds. Hunter swirled about as he threw his head in any direction he could in a vain attempt to find the source of the sounds. Whatever it was he knew it can't be good.

"W-What's going on?" Hunter asked as he heard all the sounds.

Colleen looked at the direction they all came from and gasped. "Hunter!"

Hunter looked at Colleen before following her gaze. He then gasped in shock as well. The shutter that saved their lives from the Cano-Mutants was now slowly opening up. The mutants couldn't have broken the lock to get it open; those shutters looked really heavy duty security for that to have happened.

The two Rovers brought their weapons up at the ready. Things only got worse when the shutter completely went up and allowed the Cano-Mutants to pour into the lab, and they weren't alone too.

"We meet again, Rovers," Groomer said, holding her blaster up and trained at the Rovers. "I suggest you both step away from the tank. My mutants are on a short leash, after all."

They weren't surprised – or scared for that matter – to face up against the Groomer. What really got them swallowing the lump in their throat though were the Cano-Mutants flanking her. The two of them were outnumbered and outgunned.

"Ugh," Hunter growled, lowering his gun in defeat.

"That's a good dog," Groomer smirked as Hunter lowered his weapon. "Both of you drop your weapons. You're not going anywhere."

Hunter and Colleen looked at each other, and then dropped their weapons. Hunter closed his eyes and suppressed a growl as Groomer chuckled defiantly. "You surprise me, professor," she said as she stepped into the lab, followed by her mutants. "But I suppose a thank-you is in order for releasing the locks for us."

The Rovers gasped and looked at the professor. He stood by the terminal, his eyes meeting the Rovers'.

Colleen couldn't believe it. "Professor...?"

He shook his head. "I will not allow you to endanger my work. We've gone so far to destroy it all now!"

"Oh for the love of..." Hunter muttered. He shook his head and glared at the professor. "You're still planning to go through with this? After learning who you're working for?"

"Who I work for is not the issue here," The professor snapped, waving a dismissing hand. "The Klónos Project was my life, everything I have ever worked for. The military would never agree to my project, but here I can continue my work for as long as I want. They'll give me everything. Everything I need. It doesn't matter to me for who I work for anymore, all I want is my work!"

Hunter squared his jaw, gritting his teeth behind his sealed lips. They couldn't believe that after all this the professor was _still_ going through with it. After everything they told him about Exile, about Alex. He didn't care how illegal this was, or that he was on the wrong side of the moral fence. All he cares about was his precious project, no matter to whom he's working for.

"Why you little weasel," Hunter growled.

Groomer chuckled. "How nice to finally find some good help these days, eh Rovers?"

"A bloomin' piece of work," Colleen said.

"Cuff them up, my mutants," Groomer said to her Cano-Mutants. "The General will be pleased on having two more Rovers to his collection."

The Rovers couldn't fight back, not with these many guns aimed at them. The Cano-Mutants grabbed them each by their arms and escorted them out of the lab, a snarl escaping from their lips as they restrained themselves from downright harming their captors.

Hunter was practically fuming. They were so close to releasing Exile, but the professor practically handed them over to the Groomer. He resisted the urge to struggle as it wouldn't do him any good. Not with a pair of hulking hands crushing his biceps and a handful of loaded guns just a trigger finger away from blowing him away.

* * *

><p>The presence of a maintenance shaft, to say the least, was very surprising to them. Even Alex didn't know of the shaft's existence during his time here either.<p>

The passage was narrow, just barely capable of allowing two people to walk through shoulder-to-shoulder. From the looks of it the shaft was rarely used or kept. Sand was pouring from small gaps through the metallic walls. It was a wonder how the shaft hasn't caved in yet.

Alex ran his hand over a pipe and felt how cool to the touch it was. Something cold was running through this pipe, water perhaps. This shaft didn't look like part of the vents to make it part of the A/C system, so maybe this was part of a cooling system for something else.

They moved as fast as they could. Eventually the path took them down a flight of stairs and opened up into a bigger part of the maintenance shaft, allowing the Rovers more moving room. It was there where they heard the rushing sound of water coming from the many pipes scattered about in the chamber. Alex was right.

"Dhis place gives me the creeps," Blitz commented as he tried to keep his teeth from chattering.

"You're telling me," Alex said.

Shag trembled slightly from the dark and creepy tone of the shaft and shifted closer to his comrades for comfort. Alex allowed the big dog get closer to him, feeling his thick but soft fur pressing against his back. He traced the pipes with his eyes and wondered what they were used for as they all lead down one direction of the shaft, eventually snaking their way up through the ceiling.

"A cooling system," he concluded.

"A what?" Blitz blinked.

"Cooling system, it must be for the nuclear battery machine," Alex explained. "Nuclear machinery has to be cooled to keep them from overheating, or else it'd cause problems, like a nuclear meltdown."

Blitz didn't fully understand how nuclear meltdowns would work, but he didn't have much interest to learn about the subject. If it sounded bad then he's not going anywhere near them. Simple, but it works for him.

"Well, whatever," Blitz said with a shrug. "So, can we go now? Dhis place is giving me dhe creeps the more we stand around."

Alex narrowed his eyes and arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess. We still got to meet up with Hunter."

The maintenance shaft seemed to go on forever as they kept moving. The shaft extended out to few other directions, giving them the impression that the maintenance shaft webs out to every corner of the facility, allowing them easy access everywhere. Good to know in case of an emergency.

The piercing silence in the shaft had them all on edge. They wondered where the Cano-Mutants were, if they even patrolled these tunnels. Perhaps the barricade Shag built against the door held and kept them out, or maybe they were just too simple-minded to figure out that the only shaft opening in the room was the Rovers' escape path. Alex shot a glance over his shoulders, making sure that they didn't underestimate them and were quietly following them.

Alex sneezed. He rubbed his nose as he blamed the dust for his runny nose. He pondered how long he can blame anything else until it becomes obvious that his degrading health is the problem. It still scared him thinking back on how tired and weak he was after using his ice vision to impede the mutants' advance. That sure must've taken off a few hours off his life expectancy at the least.

The sneeze however didn't sit well with Blitz. He was on edge enough already wandering about in the lonely and dark corridors of the shaft. The sudden echoes from Alex's sneeze gave him that shove to make him jump with a startled yelp, landing into Alex's unsuspecting arms.

The two Rovers looked at each other; Alex in surprise from the reaction and Blitz for realizing what scared him.

"S-Sorry," Alex apologized for the scare.

"Gesundheit," Blitz responded to the sneeze.

A sudden flash got the two Rovers attention. Shag held his camera in his paws, the photo developing right out of the old device. He gave the two of them a satisfied bark and a thumbs up for the opportunity once he was satisfied with the photo's quality.

Alex blinked and arched an eyebrow. "How long has he been doing this?"

"A couple of months," Blitz monotonously answered as he turned his attention away from the Rovers, occupied with the new photo and his camera.

"For what?"

"How should I know?"

Alex hummed and unceremoniously dropped Blitz from his arms.

The Rovers continued down the maintenance shaft. As creepy as it might be down here the place was empty. It seems like the Cano-Mutants couldn't take the atmosphere either and refused to patrol or keep an eye on this place.

"There," Alex pointed out to a ladder ahead of them. "Up there."

The Rovers looked up the ladder Alex pointed to. One by one they each climbed to the top. Blitz was first, who held the cover at the top open for the others as Alex and Shag climbed out.

The room in which they emerged into was big, storing many unused machines and equipment. It was another storage room, but the size of it allowed it to store many towering machines and electronics.

Alex recognized the room. Having a flashback, he recalled this was one of the rooms he was often held in when he wasn't out on a heist. The tools, the piece of equipments, it was here where they used his knowledge to modify and build new weapons, such as the bomb Groomer used at the last research facility.

A few seconds into the room their radios began to act up. How strange, the radio was dead ever since they snuck into the facility, the thick metal walls of the facility and its underground location to blame.

The three Rovers exchanged glances as they heard nothing but static. Was the Rover Satellite finally beginning to orbit over them to boost their signal strength, or were the radios able to pick each other's signal from very close proximity?

"Do you hear that?" Alex asked as among all the static he began to pick up distorted voices.

Blitz and Shag strained to hear through their headsets, but none of them could make out the messages. It was a mess under a sea of static from the radio, unable to be deciphered.

"I can't figure out what dhey're saying," Blitz said.

"Sshhh," Alex hushed, straining to hear. He began to pace, the transmission slowly getting better as he moved to one side of the room. He motioned to the others in one spot where he believed the signal was strongest as the distorted communication began to clear up. It was barely inaudible at best, but with a little luck they were able to listen and decipher what they're saying.

But then their hearts froze when they recognized the voices, and the message that they were hearing.

* * *

><p>Parvo's evil smirk never left his face.<p>

As he stood triumphantly his eyes never left his prisoners held at gun point by his Cano-Mutants. Shackled and helpless two of the Road Rovers could do nothing more but have a glaring contest with the evil General himself.

"Welcome, Rovers," Parvo grinned, his arms folded over his chest. "It's been a while."

"Believe me, we rather enjoyed the times we didn't have to see you," the Collie replied with a growl.

Parvo chuckled. "Tell me, what did you think of my little home under the Sahara Desert? Isn't it cunningly hidden away from prying eyes in the one place nobody ever expects to look?"

"I'll admit, it had us scratching our heads for a while trying to find you," the Retriever said.

"That was the general idea," Parvo said. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the two meddling Cano-Sapiens. Something was missing in this picture. "Where are the other Rovers?"

The Retriever shrugged his shoulders. "Here. There. It's a coin toss just to guess. But wherever they are, they'll come get us and stop you, like we always do."

Parvo growled. If there was one thing he always hated was the Retriever's smart mouthing. But he had a point. When it came to the Rovers he had to catch them all at once. Even just one loose was always enough to completely ruin his day. And he's not going to have any of that today.

"Groomer!" He turned to the Groomer. "Find them!"

"Right away, General," she immediately responded, promptly taking her leave with her equipment and Cano-Mutant followers.

His eyes followed the woman's form as she took her leave before setting his eyes back on the imprisoned Rovers. He can worry about the rest of the Rovers later. The facility was in lockdown, the Cano-Mutants were on high alert, armed to the teeth, and the Groomer's on the job. They aren't going anywhere. Better focus on the two in custody before they try something.

"You're not going to get away with this, Parvo," the Retriever growled at him. "It's a cliché, I know, but it's always the truth. We'll never let you get away with the Klónos Project, especially not when you've used our friend for your plans!"

"Ah yes, the Husky," Parvo smirked. He chuckled. "He's been a great help for my plans and research, and he was very obedient too. He never complained even once."

His words must've struck a nerve on the Retriever. He jerked forward in a vain attempt to get his hands on the General, but a Cano-Mutant grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him back into his place. The Retriever's glare spoke volumes to the animosity between them.

"Oh, but don't worry, he wasn't harmed in any way," Parvo said in a taunting manner. "As a matter of fact, neither will you both be."

The Collie scoffed. Pigs would fly first before they even believe a word from him. "What do you mean?"

Parvo chuckled as he stroked his mustache. "I'm sure you're already aware of what my plans are for the Klónos Project. You see, Cano-Mutants have served me well but, well, unfortunately they aren't the sharpest tool in the toolbox."

"That's for sure," the Retriever snarked.

"And so, when I discovered the potentials of the Klónos Project I thought 'why not make an upgrade to my army of canines?'"

The General smirked as he stepped away from them. It was a risky plan – and expensive as all heck – but the project had so much potential. The idea already had the General daydreaming of how easy it would be to attain world domination. Twist the world leaders' arms to surrender their rule to him.

"It's just like I thought," the Retriever said, suppressing a growl. "You're going to make an army."

"Not just any army," Parvo added as he turned around again to face the Rovers. "But my very own army of Road Rovers!"

In a sudden and jarring move the Rovers were each shoved forward to nearby machines. Four aligned the wall behind Parvo, their glass doors wide open inviting their victims inside.

"W-What…?" The Retriever gasped in shock as he realized what they were seeing. They were tanks. The same ones they found Exile in. The same tanks they saw aligning the walls back in the lab.

"He's going to do the same to us what he did to Exile," the Collie said in shock, putting two and two together.

The Retriever gulped. "Yet another unexpected twist. Bummer…"

Unceremoniously the Cano-Mutants each shoved and tossed the Rovers into the tanks, sealing them inside to their fate. Parvo could only smirk as he watched them struggle from the inside in a vain attempt to escape. It was futile, but he wasn't going to tell them. He was enjoying watching the flea-ridden mutts try.

"Just you wait, Parvo," the Retriever threatened from inside the tank, his voice muffled but audible. "Even if you get all of us you still have other Road Rovers all over the world to deal with! They'll stop you!"

"Oh, I'm betting on that, Rover," Parvo sneered as he stepped closer to the Retriever's tank. "What better way than to crush the Road Rovers than with an army of their own comrades? Turning them all against each other?"

Parvo laughed at his own diabolical plans. He never could've perfected the formula to his Cano-Mutator. No matter how hard he tried he never could've made a complete and proper Cano-Sapien like his nemesis, Professor Shepherd, could. But the Klónos Project proved to be a formidable alternative. With this upgrade to his armies with proper Cano-Sapiens, he'll be unstoppable. He was sure of it. There was no stopping him. He was so close.

His laughing fit soon turned into violent coughs and hacks. He requested for his dosage of Lozenge, but then realized Groomer already left to hunt down the rest of the Rovers. Unable to do anything else Parvo staggered away to find where she keeps the Lozenge before he hacks himself to death.

"Parvo!" The Retriever roared as he slammed his fists into the glass again, shouting at the man as he staggered away in his usual coughing fits. His efforts proved fruitless as the General left them behind.

The Retriever suddenly felt his boots wet. He looked down and gasped as he saw water slowly filling up the tank, already ankle deep. He looked over to the other tank at the Collie, seeing her in the exact same situation as he is.

* * *

><p>The static settled in again, somewhere somehow losing the signal. But despite the sudden cut-off they managed to hear enough to understand the situation – Not to mention their collar tags suddenly began to beep and pulse in a gentle light. The others were in trouble, and they had to save them before it's too late.<p>

"Dhat no good Parvo," Blitz growled, slamming his fist into his palm. "Imprisoning my beloved Colleen like that. We got to help her!"

"Don't forget comrade Hunter too," Alex muttered to the Doberman.

"Oh. Yeah, him too," Blitz said with a wave of his hand.

Shag barked and mumbled something to the two Rovers about the others' possible location. If their radios could pick each other's signal from close proximity, then they must be somewhere nearby.

"Yeah, that's possible," Alex said, agreeing with Shag's theory.

"Then dhey must be dhis way," Blitz said as he pointed down the closest hallway. "Come on!"

The mission now urgent the three Rovers wasted no time. As they ran down the hall Alex couldn't help but feel nostalgic through these halls. He's been through here before. That vivid flashback he had while walking through the halls of Mission Control, before he ran into the Master's laboratory, where he walked into this big room to face the General and the Groomer.

Alex and the others skidded to a halt. One thing was different though, and that was the rolled down shutter blocking their path up ahead. The facility was still under lockdown, cutting off their route to the others.

"Dang," Blitz cursed with a growl. "I forgot about dhe shutters. We'll never get through here!"

Frustrated Blitz threw himself against the shutter, trying to force it open. Shag whimpered next to Alex, finding it a tad frightening how the frustrated Doberman threw himself again and again and again against the shutter. Alex watched and wondered what to do. There had to be some way to bypass the lockdown, or at least this shutter.

Lockdown…Lockdown…Lock…Down…Lock…_Lock!_

Alex felt silly to have forgotten all about it. He had the solution on him this whole time.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small electronic device, the jammer. The Master gave it to them for a case such as this one, if they ever needed to bypass any locks. And that time was now.

"Wait, Blitz," Alex called out.

Blitz stopped hurling himself against the shutter. He looked back at Alex while rubbing his aching shoulder, a growl escaping through his clenched teeth. He didn't seem happy, and Alex muses it must have something to do with Colleen being in trouble.

"What," Blitz growled. "What is it?"

Alex held up the jammer for display. "I think I can get it open without having your bones broken."

Blitz rolled his eyes and stepped aside for Alex to give it a shot. The Husky stepped up to the shutter and studied the frame, wondering where or how the device was supposed to work.

_It's wireless, _a voice in the back of his head told him. _Just get this open before it's too late._

Alex activated the device and stared at it. He didn't know exactly how to work it, but subconsciously his fingers knew which buttons to press and where to go. He jammed into a frequency nearby – perhaps the shutter's lock – and the device worked its magic. He made it a point to avoid the red button in the middle of the device like the plague. Pressing said button would make the device overload every single lock in the immediate area with a powerful electromagnetic outburst, but it would fry the device in the process.

"Hurry up dhere, Alex," Blitz demanded, starting to lose patience.

"Quit rushin' me," Alex growled back at him.

A couple of minutes into the process a nearby pop startled the Rovers and the shutter jerked upward a bit, relieved from the lock's stress.

"I think that did it," Alex said.

Blitz looked at the shutter and noted the slight gap between it and the floor. With Shag's help they hooked their fingers under the edge and with all their might pulled the shutter upward. The shutter slowly slid up with an audible strain of metal all the way until the Rovers could walk under the thing.

Alex looked through the opening after putting away the device into the back of his belt. The path further in gave him unwanted flashbacks, memories of Cano-Mutants escorting him through the halls, taking him to their master. He dreaded being back here again.

"Great," Blitz smirked at the open passage. "Come on, let's go!"

Alex's mind snapped out of his thoughts by Blitz's motion. After crouching down through the half-opened shutter the Rovers continued their sprit down the hall, their running steps echoing through the halls as they rapidly approach the main room. It was an effort for Alex just to put one foot in front of the other the nearer they got.

About halfway down the hall a shot echoed through the hall and zipped right over Blitz's head, causing the Doberman to squeal in fright. The Rovers skidded to a halt as more incoming shots threatened to slice into them. Cowering from the incoming fire both Blitz and Shag leapt behind a nearby corner for cover. Alex, out in the open with no usable cover in sight, rushed to a nearby door and swung it open for a makeshift cover.

"Well well," a female voice called out. "You Rovers are making my job a little too easy today."

"Groomer," Alex growled behind the opened door.

Blitz was rubbing the top of his head, swearing that some of the fur on his head was singed from the near miss. He lost count at how many times this has happened to him the past couple of weeks, and it was aggravating him with how often it's been.

"What's the big idea, you crazy lady?" Blitz asked from behind the corner in an aggravated manner. "Every time you shoot at me you always barely miss my head!"

"I call it force of habit," Groomer responded. "Or you Rovers are just that lucky."

"I don't feel lucky," Blitz muttered, inching closer to Shag.

Alex peaked from behind cover to take a look at their situation. Groomer was equipped with her launcher, as usual. Accompanying her on either side stood Cano-Mutants, both of them with their weapons ready to fire. If they wanted to come to their friends' help, they'd have to get through them, and they couldn't waste any more time.

"Now, how about you three be good little doggies and come out with your hands up," Groomer demanded as she waited for the Rovers to come out of hiding. "Or else we'll blow you all to bits."

"_Bolshoi_," Alex whispered as he reached for his tennis ball blaster as subtle as he could. Alex was more than willing to take a chance and bum rush them to distract them. It could get him killed, but given his degradation the risk was a nonfactor for him. At least it would give Shag and Blitz the opportunity to slip past them during the confusion to help their comrades in the upcoming room.

He glanced over to the other side, expecting Blitz to beg for his life or something to that effect after having a good idea on how he is under such pressure. He made a double-take however when he noticed Blitz wasn't crying like a scared little puppy but ready in position with his weapon out, ready to fight back.

"Blitz?" Alex arched an eyebrow.

Blitz looked over at Alex, narrowed his eyes and whispered "hey, when my beloved Colleen's in danger the paw gloves are off."

Alex was taken back. Based on the memories he acquired from Exile Blitz was never this brave, he'd rather cower behind the Rovers' back. But to be fair he hasn't known all there is to know about Blitz – or any of the other Rovers for that matter – so there might be more to the Doberman than he initially thought.

Alex nodded to the Doberman. "All right. On three we fight."

Blitz nodded. "Yah. On three."

"One…Two…Three!"

With a cry the Rovers leapt from behind cover and into the crossfire. They held their weapons up, tennis ball blasters at the highest setting to stun and knock the opposition out. But inches away from pulling their triggers they froze in their tracks, not one shot ringing out as their nerves vanished in an instant.

Groomer wasn't taking any chances. When she found the Rovers she used whatever trick in the book she had to have the advantage and take the Rovers prisoners. Sure she went ahead with two Cano-Mutants, but little did the Rovers know she had backup nearby and at the ready. They weren't facing two Cano-Mutants and a human anymore. They were facing a small army of eight, the hallway ahead clogged with the furry mutants.

"I knew you Rovers wouldn't go quietly," Groomer smirked.

Alex, Blitz and Shag looked at each other, fear visible on their faces. Now facing impossible odds they dropped their weapons to the floor, admitting defeat. No way they can take this many by themselves and come out alive.

It would appear Parvo has won this time.


	16. Fight to the Finish

**Chapter 15: Fight to the Finish**

_Parvo watched with much delight as the tank decompressed its interior. The tank's door slowly rolled upward, unleashing the beast sealed within. It was a magnificent sight and experience to behold. At last, after two days of nonstop work, it was ready. And he was bearing witness to the fruits of his labor._

_There in front of them stood a complete replica, everything from the fur color, to the height and imposing figure. Nothing was out of place. _

"_It's perfect," Parvo grinned. "It's working as well as we expected."_

"_Yes, General," Groomer said, sounding just as happy as Parvo. "With this Phase 2 is now complete. Everything is going smoothly and according to plan."_

_The replica blinked as it stirs and steps out of the tank, its limb feeling stiff and wobbly right after awakening. It coughed out some water as it supported itself against the tank, its world and mind spinning. Blinking it raised its head and looked at its new masters, curious like a lost little boy amongst strangers._

_The surrounding Cano-Mutants snarled and readied their weapons at the newcomer, protective of their masters against the impure creation. Groomer merely waved her hand at them, easing their tension._

"_Just look at him," she said as she turned back to the replica standing before them. "He's beautiful."_

"_He'll make a perfect soldier," Parvo said with a laugh. "Exile, I believe that's the Rover's name."_

"_I think so, General. We were never too clear with their names," Groomer said, giving a dismissive shake of her head._

_Exile. That name came and went through the replica's mind like a meaningless word meant to be forgotten, at first. He would hear and learn that name again through his dreams several days later._

"_I believe it's time to give this one a little test run, wouldn't you agree, Groomer?"_

"_Oh yes, General," Groomer eagerly replied. "I'd love to see what he can do for us."_

_Parvo and Groomer laughed; a laugh that the replica would soon grow to despise._

"_You've outdone yourself, professor," Parvo sneered._

"_Oh yes, General," a voice said from behind the replica. The replica looked over its shoulder and saw young a man in a lab coat, young enough to betray the glasses-wearing-white-hair stereotype. "It's been a pleasure and so satisfying working on something I've dedicated my life to, and to see such wondrous results. I owe it all to you, General."_

_The replica stared blankly at his new masters. In his thoughts both Parvo and Groomer laughed. They were both so sure of themselves that such a plan will work and propel them to world domination. Think about it. How can they lose with their own army of Road Rovers, Cano-Sapiens with their own super powers who succeed where the police force fail?_

_The laughs soon became too much for the replica._

Alex vigorously shook his head to chase away the resurfacing memories. He uncomfortably moved his wrists as he felt the heavy burden of the metal cuffs restraining his arms behind his back. Groomer wasted no time in cuffing them up when she caught them, and now they were being presented like trophies to the main room they were headed for.

Shag was understandably whimpering. Blitz was crying his eyes out begging for mercy, something that Alex suspected he gave up on when the mutants all but ignored him after slapping the cuffs on him. It was irritating listening to his whining, when five minutes ago he was willing to fight like a dog to the bitter end to save his comrades.

Alex wriggled his hands in the cuffs. He had a decent look at them when they were cuffing the others a little while ago. The lock looked automated, maybe to similar design like the shutters strewn all over the base. He made a mental note of it before they were shoved away.

The automated doors closed behind them and Alex casted his eyes to the spacious room, just like his memories. The second level was composed of catwalks, all aligned along the walls and webbing all over the place right above them. There were less Cano-Mutants than he remembered, but the numbers were there to keep them in check.

There were six ways in and out, including the one they just came through; four on the first level and two on the second level. One of the four ways out on the first level seemed to be an elevator, its destination unknown to him. And from where Alex was he could see another elevator on the second level, its destination also unknown to him.

The Rovers looked up at the upper floor in front of them and gasped in unison. There were four tanks, and two of them were occupied. Hunter and Colleen were trapped inside, the water inside already up to their chests. Alex estimates that in just a few more minutes they'll be totally submerged.

"Oh, General," Groomer sweetly said as she stepped forward. "Guess what I brought you as a present?"

Alex narrowed his eyes and suppressed a snarl as the man in charge of all this came forward. His sneer and evil eyes were nothing short of angering to the Husky, and it took much willpower to keep him from charging into the man and tearing him apart as best he could.

"Well well," Parvo said. "If it isn't the missing Rovers. Well done, Groomer. It looks like my collection is finally complete." Parvo grinned as he eyed the three Rovers. He sneered and chuckled as his eyes met Alex's. "And look, the stray found its way home. It feels nice to be home, doesn't it?"

Alex curled each hand into a tight fist, his body shaking with hatred and anger. "Parvo…!"

"Oh, I think he's mad at us, Groomer, to his masters," Parvo teased, glancing back at Groomer.

Groomer shook her head as she clicked her tongue. "Such an ungrateful mutt, after all we've given him: a home and a life."

The taunting nearly drove him over the edge. Alex lunged at them, teeth bared and his claws just about to shred through his uniform gloves. The only reason Parvo was still up and breathing was thanks to his Cano-Mutants holding the enraged Rover back. Parvo was grinning as he looked at Alex while the enraged Rover snarled and bared his teeth at his creator.

"My my, what a temper, such ferocity," Parvo said with a sneer. "Adding the formula from the Cano-Mutator worked like a charm after all, Groomer."

Groomer giggled, liking what she just saw. "Yes, General. This army will be the fiercest we've ever had."

Alex huffed through his nose as he calmed himself down. He mused that whatever formula Parvo was talking about must be the thing responsible for his awful temper and rising anger whenever he thought of things he just plain disliked.

"It's a shame you chose to leave and go back to the Road Rovers," Parvo said to the replica. "You wasted us a lot of time and resources with your little escape, not to mention put us way off schedule."

"But," he went on as he turned to the tanks, "You made it up to us by bringing us the rest of the Rovers."

Parvo couldn't help but grin as he watched the water reach the two captive Rovers' shoulders. They kept struggling, trying in vain to smash their way through the tank's glass. Very soon they had to make a choice. They could either drown or put the oxygen masks on, which in turn will release sleeping gas. They'll lose consciousness and fall upon his mercy, ready to be put through the project as well.

He was getting goose bumps just thinking about it. "Just think, my own personal army of Road Rovers. What better way than to defeat my most hated enemies than by destroying them with their very own comrades?"

Shag yelped from the scarring image. Alex took a glance at both him and Blitz, not at all surprised to see the two of them scared at the thought. He couldn't blame them, he was scared too. With his hands cuffed behind his back he reached and patted his belt with his fingers for something. They needed a plan, or else it was all over for them here and now.

"Groomer, put the two Rovers into the last tanks," Parvo said as he turned his head to his partner.

Groomer was more than happy to oblige. "Right away, General!"

A simple order from her and the Cano-Mutants herded both Shag and Blitz up the stairs to the tanks. Shag's whines went unheard as he was shoved and pushed before being unceremoniously stuffed into a tank. Shag whimpered after the tank was sealed shut. It was such a tight fit he couldn't even move at all.

"No no no please, don't do it, don't put me in dhe tank!" Blitz meanwhile was as usual cowering, vigorously shaking his head trying to bargain not to be put into the tank. "L-Listen, you don't want a dog like me in your army. Please, I'm no good, I-"

His cowardly words also went unheard as he was shoved into the tank and sealed inside. Blitz whined and pushed against the seal to no avail with his shoulders. He looked to his left to notice Hunter giving him his best 'really?' look as the water level was already up to his chin. Even in impending doom their leader finds the time to throw such looks at him.

Hunter looked through the glass. Parvo was still eyeing them, with Groomer joining at his side after sealing the rest of his friends. He then looked at Alex downstairs, the only one left behind. He noticed there were conveniently four tanks in the room. So if they were especially for just them, then what are they going to do with Alex?

"Well, you've been a great experiment," Parvo turned on his heels to look down the stairs at Alex. "But unfortunate the professor screwed up on something with you that made you rebel."

Alex scoffed. The unfortunate part would be if he never left at all. Exile's memories may have influenced him to leave, but right from the start when his memory was blank he had conflicting feelings on the things he used to do when under Parvo's command.

"But mark my words, dog, we won't make that mistake again," Parvo hissed as he narrowed his eyes at the replica. "Destroy him!"

Alex flinched from the order while the Rovers all gasped from within their tanks. Even Groomer did a double-take on the General for his order.

"Destroy him? But General, can't we salvage it?" Groomer asked, trying to hit a bargain with the General. "We can brainwash it, put another chip in its head to control it. After all the work we put into it-"

Parvo turned his head to the Groomer and explained. "Need I remind you that it was only the test run? It was created without the Cellular Stabilizer in our possession. Just look at it. That thing is not worth salvaging, it might not even last the day."

The General's words hurt him. It only reminded him of his degrading condition. His bleaching fur, his degrading DNA and immune system, even using his powers made him degrade even faster. Alex scoffed to himself and hung his head down. Parvo had a point. He's just a replica, destined to be in the shadow of the Rover he was based on. He's not worth salvaging.

Hunter was now standing on his tip toes as he tried to keep his head above water as it was just now under his eyes, threatening to submerge him any second now. He watched Alex in his conflicted state. It pained him to see him like this, being able to do nothing but watch as Parvo's words pushed him further into a depressed state.

"I suppose you're right," Groomer said with a sigh. "It's quite a shame."

Parvo threw his head back to the mutants and the replica. Narrowing his eyes he commanded to the mutant next to replica. "Do it."

Hunter closed his eyes as the water finally took him under. He opened them again underwater and banged his fists against the glass helplessly as the Cano-Mutant readied its weapon and aimed it right to the Husky's head. He really wished they had a reset button right about now to try this whole thing again. It always worked for him whenever he screwed something up in his videogames.

Alex slowly raised his head, looking at the Cano-Mutant through the corner of his eye. He glanced up at Parvo and Groomer, seeing the two of them in front of the tanks watching him. They really think they have this all planned out and won, don't they?

"I made a promise," he mumbled to himself, his gaze moving to the back of the General, to the trapped Rovers. "I promised to help the Rovers stop you…To help rescue Exile…"

His fingers curled themselves around something tucked away behind his back. It was the device he used to hack into the shutter's lock a few minutes ago. He specifically remembered how he put it away in the back of his belt. It was only pure luck the Cano-Mutants chose to cuff his hands behind his back; otherwise they really would've been in trouble.

"Parvo," he raised his voice to the General and the Groomer. "You haven't won yet, so cool off!"

To Parvo it sounded like the replica's last words. But he couldn't be more wrong. And if Hunter wasn't too preoccupied holding his breath underwater he would've expressed the following unexpected twist.

Holding the device in his hands Alex felt for and pushed the middle button of the jammer. The device crackled and self-destructed a second later, resulting in an exploding electromagnetic pulse at the cost of injuring Alex's hands. The pulse jammed and destroyed the lock on Alex's cuffs, freeing his hands. His first order of business was knocking the armed Cano-Mutant out and the other mutant that tried to restrain him.

The electromagnetic pulse's damage didn't end there. The pulse reached out to every corner of the room, overloading and releasing every single locking mechanism in the immediate area. Even the tanks sealing the Rovers had their locking mechanisms destroyed, resulting with the doors being swung open from the pressure and pouring out the gallons of water down onto the shocked General and Groomer, throwing them both down the stairs along with the rush of the water.

The whole incident occurring all at once shocked and stunned every Cano-Mutant in the room. And it was those precious seconds the Rovers needed to recover and mount their counter attack.

Parvo and Groomer meanwhile coughed and gagged as they laid on the ground floor, their clothes and equipment soaking wet. Parvo looked up and narrowed his eyes in hatred. The Rovers were out of their tanks, all standing in a formidable row at the top of the stairs glaring down at the General and his minions. And they didn't look all too happy.

"Looks like you weren't counting on that, did ya?" Hunter deadpanned to the downed General. "You should _never_ underestimate a Rover, Parvo."

"We always have a trick or two up our sleeves," Colleen added as she stood next to their leader.

"Got that right," Hunter nodded. He looked down at Alex and gave him an approving wink and a thumbs-up. "Way to go, Alex!"

Alex stood up with a returning nod. He winced and gingerly rubbed his burned fingers. If it wasn't for his gloves the damage to his fingers would've been much worse. That jammer had quite a punch for being so small.

Parvo gritted his teeth with a growl. No, this cannot happen again. The Road Rovers just can't make a fool out of him again! "Don't just stand there! Get them!" He hollered at every mutant in the room.

The Cano-Mutants all recovered from their stunned state and snarled at their targets. The unarmed ones rushed to subdue their enemies while the armed mutants all took aim with their weapons.

"All right, this is it," Hunter coached his team as he got into a stance, smirking with excitement. "The final battle! Don't hold back!"

"Gladly," Blitz growled as he unsheathed his claws. "I'll bite every tail and tooshie in the room until they all run away crying for their mommas!"

"You're quite brave all of a sudden now, strangah," Colleen teased.

"How many times do I have to tell you? My name is Blitz! _Blitz!_"

The incoming fire interrupted the usual banter between the two, forcing them to dodge and take cover as the battle starts.

Hunter leapt down the stairs and the instant he touched ground he used his Super Speed. He darted in every direction of the room he could, catching the gunners' attention and drawing their fire to him. His plan back fired almost at the instant he thought of it when a Cano-Mutant leapt into his path and forced him to screech to a halt in his tracks. He instantly ducked under the mutant's swinging arm and leaned aside to dodge a downward strike.

Hunter shielded his face from the gunfire he attracted. Thinking fast he leapt back onto a computer terminal and threw a tennis ball at his assailants, the ball exploding upon contact into a cloud of thick smoke and successfully stunning and blinding his targets. His eyes then went back on the mutant that attacked him, just in time to spot him swiping at him with his claws. He jumped over the swipe and landed on the ground next to the mutant, turned about on his heels and swung his fist strongly into the mutant's face, stunning the hulking beast. And just as Hunter was about to attack again he noticed the smoke screen he pulled up earlier was already dissolving.

"Great…Sit right there for me. I'm not through with you," he told to the stunned mutant before running off as the previous gun-wielding mutants began to recover and regain their sights on the Rover to return fire.

Meanwhile Colleen was busy with a mutant of her own. Using her superior martial art skills she skillfully dodged every one of the mutant's attacks. She practically danced around the mutant, nimbly blocking and dodging the attacks, much to the mutant's frustration.

"Hi-ya!" she yelled as she delivered a high kick to the mutant's face. She yelled another martial art cry as she chopped her hand to the mutant's neck, followed with a punch across her attacker's face. Another kick for good measure and the mutant was down.

But Colleen wasn't out of the woods yet. Still aware of her surroundings she leaped and threw a roundhouse kick right into a Cano-Mutant who dared to try to sneak up on her from behind. _The nerve, tryin' to sneak up on a woman like that._

"Hmph," Colleen smiled as she pushed a strand of hair back from her face. Her relief was short-lived though when she was shot at from up above her. She yelped as she jumped aside and looked up at a Cano-Mutant opening fire from the upper floor. It snarled at her as it realigned its aim to shoot, but it never had a chance to pull the trigger when its gun suddenly exploded, struck by gunfire from one of their own weapons.

Alex let out a sigh of relief as he lowered the blaster he confiscated from the earlier Cano-Mutant. But just then Alex was showered from incoming fire from another direction, and Alex was forced to dive for cover behind a couple of computer terminals. He was pinned down and with no way to return fire from his current position. He looked at the weapon and took a glance at where Colleen was, finding her taking cover from another position. He soon hatched an idea.

"Colleen!"

Colleen looked at Alex and saw him sliding his weapon across the floor at her. She caught the weapon and took a good look at the Cano-Mutants pinning Alex down. She had a great view of them, and with a few careful shots she caught the mutants off guard as their weapons were destroyed. This gave Alex a chance to move to a better position to take cover from.

Colleen kept a watchful eye just in case Alex needed more support, but from across the catwalk up above another group of armed mutants opened fire on the Collie, forcing her to dive back behind cover. She couldn't properly fire back to this new group, so instead she invoked the same tactic Alex practiced. "Alex!"

From his new position Alex caught the weapon Colleen slid across the floor back to him. He jumped out from where he was taking cover and opened fire on the mutants pinning Colleen down. Rather than taking out their weapons he shot straight at the machines that were behind them, causing them all to explode and take the Cano-Mutants down with the propulsion of the explosions and showering them with shrapnel. The mutants didn't know what hit them when the blast propelled them either off the catwalk or onto the metal floor.

"Hahah, yes!" Alex cried as he pumped his fist. The team work was flawless, and the stupid mutants didn't stand a chance in the slightest. His heart was beating against his ribcage like a drum from the excitement; the adrenaline was pumping through his veins like there was no tomorrow. He could go for more, and he hoped this wouldn't end any time soon.

It didn't occur to him at the time, but the adrenaline and the sheer ferocity of his heart beating into his chest was costing him almost as much as using his super powers. It was starting to accelerate his body's degradation process, and it showed as his breathing started to grow shallower and his eyesight was beginning to go. His legs nearly buckled from under him suddenly as his strength began to fail him as he dropped the blaster from his hand. He was suddenly paralyzed from the exhaustion; he was a sitting duck. And Colleen noticed.

"Alex!"

"Huh-Aaah!"

Colleen threw herself at the Husky and pushed him out of a blaster's sight. Alex's world went for a spin as he crashed on the floor with Colleen over him, the shot just barely missing both him and her by inches.

With both Alex and Colleen stunned and recovering the Cano-Mutant had a clear shot after realigning its aim. It had them both in its sights and only had to squeeze the trigger, but just then its blaster suddenly broke apart into neatly-cut pieces in its paws. And it confused the heck out of the mutant.

"Hey! Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?"

The Cano-Mutant turned its head to the Rover responsible for destroying its blaster. His razor sharp claws were exposed as the Doberman growled at him, prompting the Cano-Mutant to growl and snarl back at him.

Blitz flinched and took a step back as whatever courage he mustered thus far faded away. He gulped but shook his head, narrowed his eyes and took that step forward again, not wanting to be out-macho'd. The mutant swung out at him. Blitz ducked under the swing and countered with an uppercut to the mutant's chin, then clamped both his fists together as the mutant staggered back and swung a double-handed strike across the mutant's face, knocking it down and out.

"Hah, take that you little sissy dog," Blitz laughed as he threw his taunts. "Not so tough now, are you?"

His moment of victory was short-lived. Shots zipping over his head startled the Doberman into one of his fairly known high-pitched screams. He covered his head as Cano-Mutants flanked him, their blasters at the ready to take him out. They had a clear shot, but one particular Rover wasn't just about to let them take Blitz out like that.

This Rover – running at extraordinary speed, no less – caught up to them and ran circles around the mutants, the force and momentum of his circling catching the air around them and spun them all in place like an out of control top in a make-shift tornado. Once satisfied Hunter stopped running circles around them and ran up to Blitz, skidding to a stop in front of the still winded Doberman. He smirked as he placed a fist on his hip and snapped his fingers with the other. "Am I good or what?"

Blitz huffed and folded his arms over his chest. "You don't have to be a show-offy dog about it."

"But it's fun to be," Hunter replied with a shrug. He looked at the other end of the catwalk and waved out a signal. "Ready, Shag? Let 'em have it!"

Shag nodded from the other end of the catwalk. He reached into his fur coat and rummaged through his stuff. When he found what he was looking for he pulled it out and hoisted it over his shoulder and aimed, potentially rewriting the meaning of the word 'overkill' in the process.

Hunter tilted his head at how Shag was aiming his bazooka and bit his tongue in alarm. "No! Shag, you're aiming it wrong! Turn around!"

Shag mumbled a 'what?'

"Turn around!" Both Hunter and Blitz shouted after sparing a glance at each other.

Understanding what they meant Shag turned about face. Of all things he couldn't get right it was his aim, something he could never correct no matter how hard he tried. As expected the bazooka fired right in the opposite direction Shag was facing after he pulled the trigger. Said direction though was directly at the Rovers and the Cano-Mutants.

"Get down!" Hunter cried as he dove to the ground, pulling Blitz down with him.

The shot cleared right over them and exploded behind them. The shot expanded out into a net and ensnared the still-stunned Cano-Mutants right into the trap, tangling them up in the net and taking them right out of the fight.

"Bull's eye!" Hunter cheered as he looked back to the trapped mutants. He looked over at Shag and gave him a thumbs up. "Nice shot, Shag!"

Shag smiled, pleased to hear the compliment and saluted him.

In amidst the chaos the Cano-Mutant Hunter stunned a while ago was still staggering through the fight, humorously oblivious and downright keeping himself out of trouble as he swayed and staggered thorough the whole fight.

The mutant soon shook its head and growled as it finally snapped out of its daze, but the situation wasn't pretty. Every one of its comrades was lying defeated on the floor or bent over the catwalk railings out cold, others trapped in a net.

Alex and Colleen stood victoriously over a couple of unconscious mutants, Blitz jumped from the catwalk down to the lower level while Shag took the time to tie a couple of mutants up for good measure. It was four against one, and the odds weren't good for the remaining mutant. The Cano-Mutant whimpered in fright as it considered giving up when someone tapped its shoulders. Behind the mutant stood the Retriever that nearly punched its lights out with one blow.

"Told ya I wasn't through with you," the leader of the Rovers declared. Before the Cano-Mutant could make a move Hunter knocked it right out with a straight fist to the face.

Hunter glanced at the whole team. None of them were hurt from the looks of it and still had much energy to give. As expected they excelled expectations and came through with flying colors. No army of Parvo could ever hope to take them down.

With a grin Hunter threw his fist up into the air and shouted a very familiar victory cry. "To the power of the pack!"

In response the whole squad howled in unison. Alex hesitated for a moment, still not feeling like he was part of the team. But the pride swelling up inside of him was just too much to ignore, and a grin spread across his face before he joined the Rovers in their victory howl.

"Good job, everyone," Hunter grinned as he faced the team. "Now let's pack it up, get Exile back and go home."

"Um, speaking of packing it up," Colleen spoke up as she shook her head at both sides, casting her gaze all over the place. "Aren't we forgetting something?"

Hunter blinked. The Rovers looked at each other as they exchanged glances about the one thing they seem to be forgetting. Then it hit them: Parvo and Groomer. They were nowhere to be seen in the room.

Alex's ears pricked to the sounds of _clink-clank_ above him. Looking over his shoulders he looked up at the catwalks above them and gasped. "Parvo!" he called out.

The Rovers turned instantly to Alex's cry. All of them spotted the partners in crime making a rung for it. They all must've hidden away during the fight and waited for a chance to get away without being noticed. They were headed for their exit to the elevator on the far end of the room up above.

"They're getting away!" Colleen pointed out.

"Stop!" Hunter called out as the Rovers stormed up the catwalks after them.

But it was too late. By the time they all made it to the upper level both Parvo and Groomer made it to the elevator. Alex threw himself against the elevator door seconds after they closed, banging his fists angrily into the closed doors and denting the metal. "No!"

In a rage he forced the doors apart to get into the elevator shaft. The opening leads to nothing but an empty shaft. Just as he feared, the elevator was already on its way up with no way of calling it back. Alex gripped the edges of the door in anger as he gritted his teeth, bending the dense metal between his fingers.

"Alex, where does this elevator go?" Hunter inquired.

Alex shook his head, trying to remember. "I-I don't know, I think it may...May lead up to the uh...I don't know! It could just take them to the hangar!"

"Or the server room," Colleen said.

"How do you know dhat?" Blitz asked.

"Easy. Read the sign," Colleen responded, her thumb pointing up to the top of elevator door frame. The words 'SERVER' were etched on a plaque above, indicating the elevator's destination.

"Oh," Blitz conceded. "But uhhh…Why would Parvo want to head up to dhe server room instead of, you know, getting away?"

The reason soon dawned on Alex. It didn't exactly take a genius to realize what you can take from a server room. "Parvo must be going to get the data from the project. He's not going to stop!"

Hunter winced. If Parvo were to leave here with the data intact then there's nothing stopping him from doing this all over again. He would lay low and silently gather the materials again from right under their noses and start the project once again. Parvo can be crafty, and knowing him he would try to make sure this doesn't happen again. He would fix all the bugs, correct all the mistakes, and then when it's all said and done he would go after the other branches of Road Rover Mission Control and pull off the same stunt that cost them one of their own. Next time things won't be as forgiving as it is now.

"We're running out of time," Hunter spoke out. "Colleen, take the team down to the labs and get Exile out of here. I'll go after Parvo and stop him before he gets away with data."

"What? All by yourself?" Colleen asked in shock.

"Yeah," Hunter nodded as he picked up a discarded weapon to arm himself before calling the elevator back down. "Parvo just lost this place, so what's stopping him from activating a self-destruct mechanism to blow this place up and us along with it? We can't all go after Parvo and take that chance."

Colleen nodded, understanding Hunter's point. "All right, 'unter. We'll go get Exile. Just…Be careful, all right?"

Hunter smiled and nodded. "You bet."

Though everyone agreed with Hunter's plan Alex wasn't going to sit this one out. Not now. "No, I'm going with you, Hunter."

Hunter turned his head to Alex. "What?"

"I said I'm going with you," Alex repeated himself, clenching his hands into fists. "Ever since I woke up I've been seeing them in my head, mocking me. They anger me, and I'm not going to let them get away with that!"

"I understand Alex, and they won't. Trust me, I'll-"

"I want to catch them!" Alex interrupted the Retriever as he raised his voice. "After everything they've done to me I want to be there so I can catch them and make them pay for what they've done! I'm not…I'm not going to stay away!"

The team was a bit taken back by the venomous tone in Alex's voice. He was angry, furious. He didn't like the idea of him staying behind with the others while Hunter went alone to confront those two. He wanted in on the action, to capture the villains who were responsible for his existence, for his anger and pain.

"Whoa, calm down." But Hunter wasn't going to change his decision, and he stood strong and firm with it. "Listen, I know you're angry, and you want some payback, but you got to understand that isn't how we do things around here!"

"But I…"

"But nothing. Those are your orders, Rover."

Alex panted through his clenched teeth, his anger nearly through the roof. He couldn't believe Hunter wasn't going to let him come with him to catch their most dangerous enemy. His arms shook from the pressure in his clenched fists and nearly snapped at the leader…But as he opened his mouth to protest he closed it back shut. The team was already staring at him from his outburst, wary that any second he could go rogue on them because he simply couldn't put aside his anger and follow orders. Exile wouldn't act like this…

_But I'm not Exile,_ Alex shut his eyes to calm himself down. _But I am a Road Rover, so…_

"I need you here with the others, Alexander," Hunter persuaded, using Alex's full name to make his words more powerful. "Just in case on your way out you might run into any more Cano-Mutants, they're going to need all the help they can get. Are we clear?"

Alex took a deep breath to calm himself down. He has a point. One of them would have to carry Exile out of here if he isn't in any condition to walk, let alone fight. Who knows what they could run into next, and two might not be enough if Blitz and Shag's lack of bravery is of any indication. Alex wouldn't admit it out loud, but he doesn't really trust those two in holding the line.

"Okay, we're clear. I'll go with the others. But," he gave a firm look at Hunter and pointed a finger at the Retriever's chest. "You promise me, Hunter, you won't let them get away. You will make them pay for all this."

Hunter nodded and held out his hand to Alex. "Hey, I always keep my promises."

Alex looked at Hunter's hand. He nodded in return and grabbed Hunter's hand in his, sealing the promise.

After they finished the team separated again, leaving Hunter alone to deal with their deadliest enemies. Once the elevator arrived Hunter stepped in and made some final preparations before pushing the button. He was inches from doing so when his ears caught Alex's voice calling out to him. He stepped out and looked down at the lower level where he saw Alex looking up at him.

"Here!" Alex shouted as he chucked something at their leader. "You might have better use for it than me!"

Hunter caught the device and curiously looked at it. It was the bone-shaped gadget they still haven't gotten the chance to use yet. The circuit jammer. Hunter accepted the gift, agreeing that it'll come in handy soon. They've never left a mission without using all of their gadgets yet.

"Thanks," Hunter cried down to the lower level. "Be careful down there, you guys!"

"You too, 'untie," Colleen shouted back as she took the lead, leading the others out of the main room.

"Yah, you just leave Exile to us," Blitz shouted back as well. "You go and bite Parvo's tooshy for me up there."

Hunter rolled his eyes with a smirk. He jumped into the elevator and slammed his fist into the elevator button to get it moving. As the elevator doors closed he gripped the weapon tight in his hands. He took a deep breath once he felt the elevator begin its ascend.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team made their way back down to the laboratory. For Colleen it simply meant retracing their steps from when they were caught. To Blitz it looked like they were just running down the same halls every time, just going in circles.

"Uh, do we even know how do we get to dhe laboratory?" Blitz asked, wanting to make sure.

"Oh that's easy," Colleen said with a teasing tone. "Just follow me."

"Oh I'd follow you anywhere, my love," Blitz said dreamily, his eyes following the Collie's tail as he followed her. Alex couldn't help but groan.

"And keep your eyes above the waist, Blistah."

Blitz shook his head in disbelief. More so to his wonder if she had eyes in the back of her head than her getting his name wrong again. "It's not Blistah, It's _Blitz_."

Fortunately for everyone it didn't take long to reach the labs. A turn to the left at the end of the hall and through a door leads them to a flight of stairs. They went down one set and through a double-door and they were back to a wide hallway Colleen was familiar with. The burnt marks on the floors and walls spoke of a gun fight from not too long ago.

A quick jog later through the wide hallway and they were back in the laboratory, the gentle hums of machineries a dead giveaway. The team heard the furious _tap-tap-tap's _of someone pounding at the keyboards. It was all a matter of following the sounds to their origins.

"I can't wait anymore," they heard a voice saying. "With those dogs here I don't feel like I can trust the General and his guards' securities anymore. I got to finish the project now before anything else goes wrong. I'll just reroute and forward all power from the nuclear generator to the laboratory. That should do it…"

"Professor!" Colleen called out as she caught sight of the human.

"Aaah!" the professor screamed, swinging around to face the intruders. "No! Not you again!"

"Yeah, nice to see you too again," Colleen said sarcastically.

The professor gritted his teeth in fear and frustration. He had a feeling this was going to happen. He should've done this sooner rather than later. His eyes met the white furred Husky's, realizing he's in the presence of his very first replica. Like the Retriever from before he said, he still lives, and he's here!

"So, this is the professor," Alex growled as he glared at the human. "The one responsible for all this, for what's happening to me…Oh what I wouldn't give for a moment alone with this creep…"

The professor backed away from the angry Rover, soon realizing he couldn't back up any further as his back touched the terminal. "W-Where are the guards?"

"Sorry little puny man," Blitz taunted as he cracked his knuckles. "But dhey are all sleeping, and won't be coming."

"Too right, gov, and we're shutting you down," Colleen said.

"No! You can't!" the professor shouted at them, his eyes wide like a mad man. "I won't let you. Not after all the progress I've done!"

"You're still going to continue the project? After seeing everything you've done, after seeing me?" Alex swung his fist into a nearby table, smashing it in two under his strength. He then took an intimidating step toward the professor. "What makes you think you can stop us…?"

Alex wasn't about to let the professor go through with his plans again. He already made one replica, and look at the pain and anger it brought him. He can't fathom what's going on through the professor's mind for him to believe that this was all right, like nothing will come back to bite him in the rear. Alex had a lot of anger to let out on this monster, but now wasn't the time.

Shag looked up over the terminal and whimpered, tapping Colleen's shoulder to get her attention to what he's seeing. Right above them over the terminal was a working tank, most likely the one where the next replica was being worked on. It was impossible to tell what was inside from where they were standing; the whole tank was metal with only one small window to peer inside, just like the other tanks both she and Hunter saw before in the other section of the lab.

"Please tell me that tank isn't occupied," Colleen commented.

Alex glanced at the terminal behind the professor and noticed what was on the screen. The monitor showed a series of instructions, algorithms and adjustments he wasn't familiar with despite his intellect inheritance. Whatever the professor is up to it was already worked out. The adjustments were literarily one keystroke away from being put into action. And that worried him.

Alex narrowed his eyes on the professor. "What are you doing…?"

"Completing my research," the professor replied.

The professor quickly went through his options. Theoretically maximizing power and performance could speed up the process by rerouting the entirely of the nuclear generator's power into this one tank, in addition to more than half of the entire facility's power grid. He was prohibited on doing so, and it was a gamble, but it was one he was willing to make. As quick as he could he turned on his heel and pushed the button on the terminal to start the process.

The Rovers all gasped in unison. "No!"

The machines began to whine as power output was increased. Terminals and computers beeped and whined as data poured through them, speeding up the process the professor so desperately wanted. Everything around them was going into overdrive, machines growing louder as their hardware and processes accelerated.

"You can't stop it now," the professor boasted at the Rovers. "I don't need the General anymore! Once this replica is complete I'll have everything I need to prove it to the world! Then I'll have the respect and recognition I deserve!"

The Rovers stared at the tank and machines, horrified. Despite their best efforts they couldn't stop them from creating a second replica. They were soon about to make its acquaintance, and if they did their homework this one will be under their complete control. They tried to prepare themselves as things were about to get ugly. Very ugly.

But instead of everything going right a second time it instead began to go wrong. The terminal began to read massive power surges, way over the limit the equipment could handle. The terminals and computers began to overload and then began to blow sparks, the systems unable to take the overwhelming surge of power and electricity.

"W-What's going on?" The professor panicked.

The terminal blared out an emergency alert that echoed through the whole lab. Shag yelped and jumped into Blitz's arms, the Doberman equally terrified from the situation. Alex and Colleen backed away from the overloading machines, covering their ears from the alarm.

"Stop it!" Alex yelled at the professor. "Turn it off!"

"I can't!" The professor fired back, already trying his best to stop the process. "The generator isn't responding! The battery's overloading!"

The laboratory equipment had it all it could take. Every terminal in use for the project exploded all around them, scattering shrapnel and electric sparks everywhere as the Rovers did their best to cover and shield their faces. One after the other, it was a chain reaction.

The last equipment to blow up was the tank, which exploded with enough force to toss the Rovers through the air like rag dolls, causing a chain reaction with the rest of the tanks scattered throughout the whole laboratory.


	17. Do svidaniya, Alexander

**Chapter 16: **_**Do svidaniya**_**, Alexander…**

The ride up the lonely elevator felt like it was taking forever. Between getting Exile out, stopping Parvo from running off with the Klónos Project data, and running the possibility of a fiery self-destruct ending, there was a lot to be anxious about, and little to no room for error. His grip on his weapon only grew stronger as he tried to find some relief in the elevator's hum.

Alex's outburst was still fresh on his mind. He remembers how angry and violent he became when the Groomer got away on his first mission. It was anger only reserved for the truly hated, and all things concerned he really couldn't blame him for the anger he had against them. But this anger was a very volatile type of rage, and left unchecked it could escalate into something very undesirable.

_He's going to need therapy, _Hunter mused as the elevator doors opened. He cautiously stepped out, weapon at the ready and made his way through the hall laid out in front of him. _Professor Hubert, you got your work cut out for ya._

That detail only made Hunter realize of a potential scenario he just sent him and the others into to the laboratory. The sight of the chemicals and tanks could really send him over the edge. And if that doesn't do it the professor's insane ramblings certainly would. It almost did it for him, after all.

This whole facility as a whole has probably triggered many uneasy feelings and anxiety for the Rover, the laboratory might just snap his already probable fragile psyche.

_Nah, he can take it, he can do this. _Hunter reassured himself as he pressed his back against the wall and cautiously peaked through a corner. _The only thing we got to worry about is finding the Cellular Stabilizer and patch Alex up. Good ol' happy ending for everyone but the bad guys._

That's another thing that's been on Hunter's mind since they got here: finding the Cellular Stabilizer. With it Hunter hopes that it'll reverse the degradation process and allow Alex to survive and live. Replica or not, naturally born or created, everyone deserves a chance to live their life. It wasn't fair how he was given an expiration date, for a lack of a better term.

The professor just has to have it. They'll find it, take it back and once out of here the professor will use it on Alex. But if Parvo has it, then he'll just take it back from him. Simple as that.

_You're going to be okay, Alex. _Hunter took a deep breath and barged through a door at the end of the hall, weapon at the ready. _Just hold on for a bit longer._

"Hold it right there, Parvo!"

The room was adequately small for a server room, but large enough for reasonable maneuvering. The servers were aligned to the farthest wall, a door to the left and another one to the right, and standing in front of the servers hunched over the terminals was none other than General Parvo. Groomer was alongside him, turning around to face the Rover with her pistol after having lost her launcher in the previous struggle. She wasn't his only companion, there were also two Cano-Mutants with them, familiar ones too; a Cocker Spaniel and a Dalmatian. They were none too happy. The feeling was mutual for Hunter.

"Do you have _any_ idea how much money went into this project?" Parvo hissed over his shoulder at the Rover.

"I can make a guess," Hunter said, keeping his weapon trained on them. "I mean, you still have me amazed seeing all this under the desert, this couldn't be cheap. Now I know what you've been up to during the past year. And don't get me started on how you managed with nobody noticing."

"Impressive, isn't it?"

"To be honest it's kind of been stretching suspension of disbelief quite a bit," Hunter paused for a moment and looked at the readers. "We're not losing you guys, are we?"

Groomer narrowed her eyes at the Rover. "We were this close into starting our own army of Super Cano-Sapiens, this close into having all the power we needed not only for world domination, but to finally destroy you meddling Road Rovers!"

"You both should've done your homework a bit more thorough," Hunter said. "Even after all these years, you two never learn. I mean, you just lost what is most probably your most expensive hide-out yet, and as we speak my team is heading to the lab to get our friend out of here and take back the Cellular Stabilizer to save our newest member. You can never defeat us, Parvo. No matter what."

Parvo growled under his breath, getting tired of the Rover's smart mouthing. He should've punished the professor severely for failing to take every precaution with the last replica after it escaped. He not only failed to keep it obedient, but the chip implanted into its brain failed to destroy it as well.

He suddenly smirked. The Rover's so sure of himself that he accidentally gave them a new member to worry about. If there was one thing he could take sick pleasure from all of this at the Rovers' expense, it was this little gem.

"Ah yes, your newest member," he muttered as he looked over his shoulder to the Retriever. "Are you really sure that you can save him?"

Hunter narrowed his eyes. "Positive. We'll find the Cellular Stabilizer, and we'll undo the damage you did to him. I'm sure he's itching for that so he can see you again behind bars."

Groomer chuckled. "How naïve you are, Rover. But it won't work. The formula has to be applied during the molecular construction phase of the process for it to take effect. It won't do any good to it now."

His eyelids twitched.

"Besides," Parvo added with a smirk. "By the way it looked, I doubt it'll leave here alive. I'd give it…Oh, perhaps an hour or two."

Hunter gritted his teeth, his aim being thrown off by his shaky hands. "Parvo…!"

They had to be lying, trying to get him off balance so they could make their move. He refused to believe it. He promised. He promised they would start over once this was all over. They were going to be friends, comrades. Hunter always kept his promises. How could he face him or the others again if he couldn't keep this one?

Parvo looked back into the terminal. The words 'UPLOAD COMPLETE' flashed onscreen. That was it, the data was already onboard their escape ship. It was time to leave this metal coffin he's been calling home for months. He turned to face the Rover and smirked, finding something enjoyable in the dog's facial expression.

"So sorry to cut this meeting short, Rover," Parvo teased the disgruntled Rover. "But Groomer and I have other matters to attend to."

"You're not going anywhere," Hunter growled.

"Says you," Groomer responded, still keeping her pistol aimed at the Rover. "But don't worry, our two mutants here will keep you company."

Hunter's eyes darted to the two Cano-Mutants. They growled at him as they took one step forward, only stopping when the lighting in the room began to flicker and dim. The room occupants looked at each other, puzzled over the power surge as the servers restarted themselves, and then completely shut themselves off. The floor under them suddenly rumbled, something that Hunter didn't quite expect given that this whole place is surrounded by sand.

And then the power went out, sending the room into darkness.

"Hey!" Hunter yelped from the sudden black out. He stayed quiet for a few seconds...Then grumbled in annoyance from the silence. "For the love of...This room better not be empty when the lights come back on!"

A few seconds later the lights flickered back on. Hunter then couldn't decide how he should feel. Parvo and Groomer were gone, but the two Cano-Mutants were still there, still glaring and growling at him.

"Well, at least the room's not empty," Hunter said, stating the obvious.

The Cano-Mutants snarled at the Rover. They weren't armed, but Hunter knew the potential dangers of fighting two Cano-Mutants at once with no backup. Hunter backed up one step, but then narrowed his eyes and took that step forward. He didn't come this far to back out now.

"You think this is going to stop me?" Hunter growled as he stood his ground against the incoming mutants. "All right, let's make this quick, you two."

The Cocker Spaniel mutant rushed at Hunter. Using his Super Speed Hunter disappeared out of sight at the last moment, the mutant crashing into the ground. Hunter then jumped and slid under between the Dalmatian mutant's legs, went up behind him and opened fire on the mutant with his blaster.

The Cano-Mutant, due to its lack of intelligence, turned around only to meet the laser blasts head-on. The shots should've knocked the mutant on its tail, stunned, hurt or dazed. But this mutant had metal chest plate protection, and the shots only knocked the mutant back a couple of steps, the bulk of the blows bouncing off the protective armor.

Hunter's momentary stun from the ineffective attack made him unaware of the other mutant's advances, and for his troubles he received a blow to the face that knocked him off his feet and drop his weapon. Hunter rolled the instant his back hit the floor, narrowly avoiding being stomped on by the hulking mutant.

Leaping to his feet Hunter eyed the two mutants. He ducked under the Cocker Spaniel's swing and leaped over the mutant when it ducked trying to grab him. He landed on his feet behind the mutant, but Hunter yelped in surprise and made a dash to get out of the way as the Dalmatian mutant jumped to grab him, leading into a dog pile between it and its comrade.

Hunter tried to come up with a plan. He was wasting time against these two and every second spent here is another second Parvo has to get away. He took a quick glance to his surroundings, finding nothing of immediate use but the blaster he dropped earlier. He made a dash for it only to be dismayed as it was taken right after he made the leap for it, landing face first into the ground as his reward.

With the only weapon in the room at the hands of the mutants Hunter had no choice but to go on the defensive. He dodged gunfire itself with his Super Speed, leaving after-images of himself to distract the mutant's fires.

He quickly covered the distance between him and the mutants, and when he found the opportunity he leapt and punched the Dalmatian mutant across the face. When the mutant dropped the gun Hunter turned and kicked the weapon away, figuring it wouldn't do him much good here due to the closer quarters of the combat zone.

Darting away from the Dalmatian's range Hunter missed to cover his back during a very vulnerable instant. From behind the Cocker Spaniel mutant grabbed him in a bear hug, locking its broad arms over Hunter's arms. "Aah! Crud!"

Hunter struggled in the hold, gritting his teeth from the squeeze. The Cano-Mutant was a little too close for comfort, and his grip wasn't loosening up any time soon. The Dalmatian Cano-Mutant saw a chance to finish the Rover off with its comrade's help and went for it. Hunter counted by bringing his legs up and kicking hard against the incoming mutant's chest once it came into range. The Dalmatian flew back from the impact and crashed into the servers, causing a short circuit that electrocuted the Cano-Mutant into unconsciousness. _That's one down…_

Suppressing a growl Hunter threw his head back, slamming the back of his head into the Cano-Mutant's face. Despite the jarring blow Hunter repeated it one more time, soon feeling the mutant's grip on him loosening enough for him to escape

The Cano-Mutant reeled from the head butts, holding and shaking its head from the pain. It glared at the Rover through in-between its fingers and in a fit of primal rage it snarled and threw itself at Hunter…And right into a wall once Hunter zipped out of the way.

Hunter winced once he realized the wall's unceremonious meeting with the Cano-Mutant's face caused a heavy dent into the metallic wall. He cautiously tapped the Cano-Mutant's shoulder twice, only letting out the breath he was holding in after confirming that the Cano-Mutant was out cold.

Hunter blinked and looked at the readers, pointing a thumb over to the knocked out mutant. "You ever notice how they just black out after jumping face-first into walls? I mean, what is up with that?"

Knowing that he was done here Hunter went over to pick up the weapon he discarded from the fight. He looked down the hall and took off in a run. He wasted too much time here; he had a villain to catch. "I'm not letting you get away, Parvo!"

* * *

><p>Everything was just a blur.<p>

At first she was deaf, the first thing she noticed as she was slowly coming to. The heat surrounding her slowly intensified as all of her senses returned to her. Then it dawned on her. The laboratory just went through a series of explosions, climaxing with the tank blowing up and tossing them through the air like they were nothing.

Her fingers twitched, letting her know that at least her bones weren't broken. Her legs were next to move as she stirred, her head and mind setting themselves straight to rid of the blur that she called her eyesight.

Colleen lifted her head as she looked at the damage. There was smoke everywhere, and the tank that towered in front of the terminal was gone, there was nothing left of it. Every computer in the immediate area was reduced to useless part and shrapnel; there was nothing left that could be useful.

"Blimey," Colleen muttered as she slowly hoisted herself up to her feet, holding her head as it hurt something fierce. "Is everyone all right? Alex? Shag?...Blister?"

She turned to her left to a loud thud and spotted the white-furred Husky pushing debris off of him. He had blood trailing from his head, a wound that's becoming all too familiar with him. He stepped out of the debris, holding his right arm where a rip in his uniform showed. From where she stood she couldn't tell if he was hurt or just superficial damage to the uniform.

"I'm here," Alex said weakly.

Another sound to her right made Colleen turn her head. A big Sheepdog emerged from under the remains of a few computers, his thick fur coat a mess and full of dirt. She couldn't tell if he was hurt under all that fur, but he whined and nodded to the Collie and gave her a thumbs up, letting her know that he's still in one piece.

Not far from Shag the Doberman pulled himself out from under the debris. He wiped off his bleeding lip on the back off his hand before stumbling up on his feet, holding his left side as he panted. His eyes were still wide from the terrifying ordeal that accompanied surviving a head-on explosion.

"I'm okay," Blitz said, still trying to settle down his rushing heart. "And it's Blitz, not Blister…"

"No! This can't be!"

The Rovers all turned to where the tank once stood. The professor was on his knees in front of the burning remains, devastated to lay witness to the destruction of his work, his baby. Years of research, years of studies all lead to these past few weeks. And now, it was all in ruins, burning away in an inferno.

"My work! My precious work!" He screamed, mourning over the loss. "It's gone…All gone! Years of research…All gone…Gone gone gone…"

The professor's desperate cries fizzled down to pathetic whimpers. He couldn't understand it. How did this have happened? Where did he go wrong? What could've happened to cause the whole infrastructure to explode like it did?

The Rovers all traded glances, unsure if they should feel sorry for him. They came to stop him, but fate seemed to have done their job for them. After everything he's done this seemed like a fitting punishment for the man; the destruction of everything that served as the catalyst for Parvo's scheme.

"Cry us a river," Alex muttered as he turned his back on the professor.

Colleen frowned and stepped forward to the professor. "It's over, professor. You're comin' with us now. Back to the surface and away from all this."

The professor didn't respond to the Collie. He slowly looked over his shoulders at her, his eyes distant and vacant. It was all over for him. Everything was gone, destroyed; there was nothing left, nothing worth for him to resist them from turning him in. He said nothing as he got up and went with Colleen.

The Rovers moved away from the blaze and made their way to the central room. Fortunately the explosions were only on one half of the laboratory, the central room was untouched as they soon discovered once they went through the doors.

"Over here," Colleen said, beckoning to the group.

She led the group to where she and Hunter found the original tank. Colleen smiled and sighed in relief once the tank came into view. Exile was safe and sound inside, unharmed from the disaster in the other room.

"Dhere he is," Blitz gasped, a bit in shock at seeing him captive like this.

Colleen watched Alex as he approached the tank. She could imagine the state of mind he's in. Ever since they brought him home he thought he was Exile, assuming his identity and place within the Road Rovers without so much as a second thought. The bombshell that he wasn't Exile at all shook him hard, but now that he's laying his eyes on the dog he was based off on…Colleen couldn't begin to imagine what he's feeling.

"So, this is him?" Alex asked. He placed a hand on the tank, looking up at the sleeping Rover. "This is Exile?"

"Yup, that's him, all right," Colleen answered as she watched as Alex stared at him, letting it all in. She wondered how he was feeling at the moment, and what he was thinking.

"Get him out," Alex demanded as he looked at the professor. "Now!"

The professor, who was just minutes ago mute from his life work's destruction, snapped out of it as he heard the Rover's demands. The look he was giving him spoke louder than words; the professor wanted no further trouble. He obediently marched to the tank's terminal and got to work. In a few seconds the water within the tank began to drain out. Another few seconds later the tank hissed as it decompressed the interior. And finally, after a few more seconds, the tank slowly opened. And then Exile was free.

Alex and Blitz braced themselves and caught Exile as he fell out. They turned him over on his back and held his head up to help him breathe, careful not to move him erratically after being so long in the tank. He was alive, and breathing. The Rovers were all swarmed with relief. For so many hours they were all worried sick about him, wondering and hoping that he was all right, against all odds being under Parvo's mercy, who wanted nothing more than to get rid of them.

Especially after seeing so many tanks when they first found the laboratory, Colleen was already expecting the worst before she saw Exile with her own eyes. Now, they had him back, and he was going to make it.

"Oh 'untie," Colleen whispered, a warm smile on her face. "We got 'im. Exile's safe now."

Both Alex and Blitz helped sit Exile up, patting him on the back and holding him up by his shoulders to help him get his body's motor skills back on track. Despite their attempts Exile didn't move a muscle; he was only sitting up because of his comrades holding him in that position.

"Exile…?" Alex nudged him. He lifted his head a bit and took note of the Husky's half-opened eyes and gentle breathing, but that was all he was doing.

Everyone noticed the lack of movement. Shag gave the Husky a couple of gentle pokes, whimpering as he wondered why he wasn't moving. Maybe their celebration over the successful rescue came a bit too early.

"He's like a drooling vegetable," Blitz commented.

Colleen looked at the professor. "Professor?"

The professor obediently walked over and took a look at Exile, much to Alex's disapproval. This man has done enough to him, and he doesn't deserve to get anywhere near Exile after what he's done. But he stilled his tongue and suppressed his growl.

"Catatonia," the professor said after examining the Husky. "He was subjected to the project longer than he should have."

"Is it permanent?" Colleen asked in concern.

"I don't think so. At least, not until all the chemicals and sedations leave his body. I estimate about…Three to five days, minimum."

"Catatonia…" Alex shook his head as he stared at the catatonic Rover. Seeing him in this state angered him. This shouldn't have happened in the first place. He slammed his fist into the ground, the echo startling those around him.

"You knew about this and you still think your stupid project was a good idea?" He growled at the professor, his eyes locked onto the human. "Look what you have done to him!"

The professor stepped back in fear from the Rover's anger, backing up against the terminal he was using. "T-This side effect wasn't my in-intention. Keeping him this long in stasis wasn't supposed to happen-"

"But you kept him!" Alex cut him off. "All you cared about was your project! You never thought of the people you were hurting for your outrageous ideas! You should be put to death for this!"

"Alex, please," Colleen grabbed a hold of Alex's arm, interrupting his rage. "We know you're upset. We all are. But it's over now; we got 'im. The professor won't be doing this to anyone any more."

Even though his anger was directed at the professor there was guilt within his rage. Alex was still a product of the Klónos Project, and the reason why Exile was captured. Not to mention his escape, which was the sole reason why Exile was kept under stasis for so long, putting him under a catatonic state.

Alex growled at the professor, but on Colleen's persistence he backed off and calmed himself down. He relaxed his fists and his tensed muscles, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Colleen smiled a bit and released his arm once she was sure he was okay. She couldn't bear to watch Alex carry that guilt over his shoulders. He's suffered enough as well.

Alex opened his eyes and looked at the professor, his gaze less intense. There was still one thing left to do before they pack it up and go home. "One more thing…Where...Where is the-"

Before he could finish the blare of an alarm interrupted him mid-sentence, startling everyone back into the current situation at hand.

"You got to be bloomin' kidding," Colleen shouted over the blare of the alarm. "What can possibly be goin' on now?"

_Warning. Nuclear power generator exceeding maximum capacitor output. Immediate shutdown required to prevent overheating. Authorized personnel please respond immediately._

Blitz gulped. "Dhat doesn't sound good…"

"That explosion must've triggered something," Alex concluded.

"N-No…This is bad, very bad," the professor shouted as he just heard the computerized warning. "Somehow the nuclear generator is exceeding maximum capacity. If left unchecked it'll overheat, and the results will be catastrophic!"

Blitz stepped in, interrupting with one of his 'buts'. "But dhis place is underground! Who cares if it goes boom?"

The professor shook his head and explained their situation. "If the nuclear generator overheats it'll cause a nuclear meltdown! And even if the facility is underground, the nuclear toxic would seep through into the sand, and the dust would be carried out into the atmosphere and pollute the air as far as Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, even beyond that!"

"As far as…" Blitz gulped. Those places were practically on the other side of the world. He wasn't aware the dust from the Sahara could reach that far. Then the professor was right; if this place experiences a nuclear meltdown things could indeed be catastrophic.

"How do we shut it down?" Colleen asked as the computerized warning repeated itself.

"There should be a master switch in the main control room, just a level above us!"

"The main control room? We were just there fighting Cano-Mutants!" Alex said, reminding them of the room they were previously in not too long ago.

"Of course we were," Colleen said in an aggravated manner. No adventure is complete without more than one backtracking sequence.

"All right then, here's the plan," Colleen said, looking at the rest of the Rovers. "One of us has to go with the professor to the main control room and shut down the generator, while the rest of us head back to the surface and prepare the Sonic Rover for when Hunter and the volunteer return."

"You can count on me, Colleen," Blitz chimed in, more trying to impress Colleen than planning on taking one for the team. "I, Blitz, will personally volunteer for dhis task!"

Shag mumbled something behind Blitz's back as he rolled his eyes. He merely kept himself busy by lifting Exile up on his back while the others decided on their next step.

"Right," Colleen replied, evidently not impressed. "Well then, I guess it's decided-"

Alex suddenly shoved Blitz aside and spat, "No!"

"Hey!" Blitz managed to keep himself from tripping from the shove.

"_I _will go and shut down the generator!" Alex snarled at the Doberman. "While _you_ take everyone up to the surface!"

Blitz growled back at him, feeling robbed of the moment to impress the dog he loved. Once again Alex's strong approach to have his way has taken the Rovers back. But there was no time to talk or react to his behavior. Every second they spent standing around was another second closer to disaster.

"Alex? Can I trust you to behave alone with the professor?" Colleen asked, understandably wary.

Alex glanced over to the professor. He narrowed his eyes and looked back at Colleen, giving a firm nod. "I'll behave. Promise."

"Hm, all right then," Colleen said as she nodded, acknowledging his decision."We'll head to the surface then. You take the professor to the main control room and shut down the generator."

"W-What? Me? With the replica?" The professor was stunned. The replica was easily the one who hated him the most in the group. And they were going to leave him alone with it?

"You'll be fine," Colleen assured him with wink, rather enjoying seeing the professor sweat. "Just don't make 'im angry."

The professor was slack-jawed as the Rovers took their leave to the nearest exit. It was like some kind of divine punishment making him work together with his own creation. The reason his project was ever conceived was to avoid this exact situation in the first place; let the replicas do the work, leave the humans at home.

"Hmph," Alex snorted as he glared down at the professor. He was doing a good job keeping himself together. "Let's go. We don't have time to be wasting."

* * *

><p><em>Warning. Nuclear power generator exceeding maximum capacitor output. Immediate shutdown required to prevent overheating. Authorized personnel please respond immediately.<em>

Hunter had to stop his running to catch what the message was saying. The alarm tipped him off it can't be anything good, but nonetheless he wanted to know exactly from what he's racing against.

"Uh-oh," he said, understanding what the message could mean "Well, I guess it can't be an exhilarating finale without a race against time added to the mix."

Hunter figured Parvo's to blame for this latest twist. Picking up the pace he resumed his sprint down the hall. He had little idea where to go, but luckily the halls were mostly all pretty linear with little chance to take a wrong turn and get lost. Figures that with a facility underground the builders didn't have the freedom to build complex designs.

He did however ran into sealed off paths. Apparently the lockdown from before is still in place despite the emergency. Hunter had to resort with detours, jumping through alternate passages where the hallways split up to keep going. His PDA instantly became a crucial tool to him, displaying the map Alex found for them to learn where to go. Parvo's heading for the hangar to his escape craft, and that's exactly where he's going.

He turned a corner and ran to the end of a hall to a metal door. The door automatically slid opened as he approached it and ran through it, the hall opening up into the hangar. It was huge; there were many vehicles to choose from; motorcycles, a truck, and even a few aircrafts. One aircraft was instantly recognizable though; a bulldog-shaped aircraft Hunter has seen so many times Parvo couldn't even hide it if he tried.

Hunter cautiously scanned the area with his blaster at the ready. The aircraft was still here, so where's…

A loud noise startled the Rover nearly out of his wits. His head turned to the bulldog-shaped aircraft. It was suddenly preparing for take-off, its engines and rocket boosters initiating and warning up. The timing was a little too perfect, and to Hunter it felt like a cruel joke.

"Oh come on! That's not fair!" Hunter spat in annoyance, his gestures clearly demonstrating his unhappiness to the irony of it all.

"I fought _two_ Cano-Mutants to get here, navigated through what can be categorized now as a maze thanks to that lockdown you put up earlier today. There should be _no_ excuse for you to just _now_ be preparing your ship for take-off!" He ranted, only stopping to catch his breath and take cover from incoming fire from the aforementioned aircraft.

"So persistent, as always," he heard the Groomer's voice over the roar of the ship's engines. "Now that we understand it better we'll put the Klónos Project to better use next time. And then, we'll have our own army of super soldiers. And who knows, maybe you'll be the lucky dog next time."

"Keep dreaming, sister," Hunter muttered from behind cover. They already used and hurt Exile, but they won't get another chance to do the same to another one of their own. He won't let them. He reached for his belt and held out the circuit jammer Alex passed on to him. He made a promise to him, to his team, and he intends on keeping it. Parvo will _not_ leave with the data intact.

He pressed a button on the device as he armed it. This'll have to be quick so he better have everything ready and in hand to pull it off in a matter of seconds. A warning siren made him look up to the hangar's roof. He heard heavy machinery going to work and got his surprise of the day as he witnessed sand pouring down from through the roof. All of the sand that poured from the roof went down through the floor gratings, somehow never filling the hangar up. Hunter was amazed by the technology. Parvo has some really smart contractors.

After a second or two the sunshine began to shine through the opening of the roof, and it was then that Hunter realized that if he wanted to board the aircraft and stop Parvo it would have to be right now, or else lose him for good until the next time. _Great, I'm gonna be picking sand out of my fur for weeks!_

Now practically raining sand Hunter jumped out from behind his cover and made a mad dash for the aircraft as it began to hover, just seconds away from taking off. Groomer was leaning out from the aircraft's door when she opened fire on the Rover. Hunter jumped behind some nearby crates for cover and fired back, his shots striking the Groomer's weapon right out of her hand and sending her fleeing back into the aircraft.

The bulldog-shaped craft was about five feet off the ground when Hunter reached for it. He made a leap for it and just managed to grab on the edge of the craft by the opened hatch just next to the aircraft's wing. He spared a glance down to notice the quick ascend before he slowly hoisted himself up, tossing his equipment inside first so he can properly use both his hands.

It was then when Hunter realized that his illegal boarding into an enemy aircraft was _not_ going to be tolerated. He was only halfway up when the Groomer was back with a spare gun, and she towered over the Rover and holding him at gun point. In hindsight tossing his weapon into the ship first was not a good idea.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" she asked the defenseless Rover.

In his mind Hunter already had a lot of reasons why, but he just shrugged and said "Whatever gave you that idea?"

Groomer chuckled defiantly, waving her gun in the Rover's face. "Sorry, but you won't be stopping us from escaping this time. Better luck next time, Rover."

Hunter glanced back down. It was a good fifteen feet drop by now, and the height was slowly but surely increasing the more he dilly-dallied hanging on the ship like this. He was in a very sticky situation. He can't go forward; the Groomer would just shoot him dead. And he can't go back; he'd risk serious injury with the high fall. Needless to say, He was stuck.

He gave a nervous little grin at the Groomer. "Uhhh heheh, you're not…Going to shoot me like this, are you?"

"Hm, tempting," was all she said as she contemplated her choices. "But you and your doggie friends have ruined our facilities so many times. And, now that you got the chance, why don't you just stay and experience your own handiwork as this place blows up?"

"Wha-" Hunter couldn't even finish his sentence before Groomer's boot connected with the side of his face. The blow made him lose his grip and fell off the ship, falling a terrifying twenty feet before crash landing hard onto the metal grating below. His eyes widened as his muzzle snapped opened to scream from the excruciating pain shooting up through his back, but not a sound came out.

He stared up wide-eyed at Parvo's getaway ship growing smaller and smaller as it ascended higher through the roof of the hangar. His vision began to fade, and then darkness consumed it as his consciousness left him.

* * *

><p>"Hmph," Groomer smiled as she shut the craft's door for take-off.<p>

As she turned to the cockpit she glanced at the weapon the Rover threw into the ship. That dog was out of his mind, taking one of their weakest weapons rather than the ones with some actual firepower. He wouldn't have stood a chance against her trusty pistol, which was capable of cutting through anything. Not that she needed it, not after she booted the Rover off the ship.

Her smile was short-lived however, and soon her foul mood returned. The meddling Road Rovers have done it again. Their plans were down the drain; another expensive hidden base ruined, and still nowhere near their goal for world domination.

No, that wasn't entirely true. The Rovers stopped their plans this time, but they didn't ruin _everything_. The files for the Klónos Project were safe and sound backed up into the ship's computer system. And with the professor's notes they no longer needed him to get the project up and running again. Things should be easier the next time.

As she stepped into the cockpit she could tell the General was as ticked off as she was. He was mumbling about all the money he just lost by losing the base, and how much it would take to recuperate the lost equipment and Cano-Mutants. The Klónos Project was anything but cheap, but Parvo saw the potential in the work, and that was good enough for her.

"Next time, Groomer," the General growled, never taking his eyes off the control panel. "Next time the Rovers will not be a factor to my plans."

"Yes, General," she agreed with a proud smile. "World domination will soon be yours!"

Parvo chuckled. "Of course it will! Next time they will be surely destroyed! Now, set a course to our reserve hideout, Groomer! We shall restart the project immediately once we get there!"

"Right away, General!"

Groomer immediately manned the controls and made for their next hideout, and for a minute it seemed like they were going to make a clean getaway. That is, until an audible beep got the two of them to exchange glances. Groomer double-checked the ship's instruments for the noise, but everything was normal. Not a problem to be found.

"What is that noise?" Parvo asked. "Groomer?"

"I-I don't know, General," she replied. "The controls all read normal."

She checked and examined every nook and cranny of the cockpit until she realized the beep wasn't coming from there. She followed it to the back where she confronted the Rover to the forgotten weapon. She crouched to it and found the source of the beep. Her pupils dilated in fear. It was a small flat device, in the shape of a dog bone. The Rover must've snuck it onboard when he threw the weapon in. Was this a bomb?

"General!" she called him of the threat, but before another word could come out of her mouth the device went into a continuous whine. Groomer felt her heart sank, and when she turned her head back to the device it happened.

In a respective order starting from the back of the ship the aircraft's instruments and devices short-circuited. Machines whined and exploded as the device did what it was supposed to do: unleash an electromagnetic pulse designated to short-circuit and destroy any computers in its path.

"What's going on?" Parvo shielded his face as the radar blew up, throwing glass and shrapnel everywhere. His eyes widened as he watched every piece of equipment in the ship blow out and malfunction.

"No!" He ran to the computer only to have the equipment blow out seconds after. He smashed his fist into a button to eject the computer's hard disk, but it was already too late. He stared in disbelief as the hard disk ejected, the hardware already damaged and burned from the computer's explosion. That was it. It was gone, just like that. The data, the files, everything; the Klónos Project was essentially destroyed in one shot. That was all he had.

"General! We lost the engines!" Groomer reported after returning to the cockpit, trying to maintain control of the failing ship. "We're losing altitude!"

He couldn't believe it. The Rovers have bested him again in every angle. They were now on an essentially limping aircraft, with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and in just a few seconds they were going to crash and lose said aircraft.

Parvo gritted his teeth as he curled his hands into fists, shaking with so much anger and frustration. "GrrrrraaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

* * *

><p><em>Better me than them.<em>

That's what Alex kept telling himself as he made his way back to the main control room. Should anything happen down here underground at least the Road Rovers would be safe. And given his degradation it won't really matter should something go wrong. He'll be dead anyway in due time.

The nuclear generator was going critical, and unless they shut it down it could trigger an explosion; or worse, a nuclear meltdown. The professor said so himself. A nuclear meltdown could prove catastrophic, with consequences reaching as far as the other side of the world. That was something they couldn't afford to happen. Alex knew they were counting on him and the professor to shut it down.

_The professor._ Alex suppressed a growl as he glanced over to the professor, who was forced to take the lead. This man was his creator, his father all things considered. And he hated the thought of working with him now. He should be locked up; he couldn't wait to see the professor get his. _Focus, you big pup. The nuclear generator comes first._

As they ascended the stairs the alarm and warnings kept repeating themselves, constantly reminding them to shut down the generator before it overheats. Once they reached the main control room the professor stopped in shock at the view of unconscious Cano-Mutants littering the room, but Alex nudged him forward.

"Move," he growled at the professor.

The professor obeyed and went straight to the main computers on the second level. Alex took a moment to glance at the unconscious Cano-Mutants, a pang of guilt hitting him. Once this is over they'll make sure to return these dogs to their respective owners and homes.

He followed the professor up the stairs to the main computers. He watched as the professor quickly accessed the terminals and began to work on accessing the nuclear generator's controls.

"Come on, hurry up," Alex said as he once again heard the computerized voice repeating the warning.

"I'm trying, this isn't exactly easy under pressure," the professor responded. "I'm a scientist, not an engineer."

Alex scoffed with a shake of his head. He'll be a dead man if he doesn't hurry up and end this little partnership. He tried his own way to help, trying to decipher the controls and how to access the generator's controls.

"You know, I'm fascinated with how you're still alive," the professor said after a glance at Alex.

"Don't talk to me."

"It's true. Your degradation looks like it's in its most advanced state; your bleached fur, the darker shade of blood and your wound not coagulating. Your degradation should've finished you off days ago-"

Alex ran his hand over the cut on his head, wiping away any blood still bleeding. "I said don't talk to me!" he snarled. "Right now all I want you to do is to help me shut down the generator!"

The professor flinched from the shouting and went back to work. Alex doesn't even want to hear him for the rest of the day, much less hear about how 'fascinated' he is about his persistence on staying alive. But that reminds him...

"But here's something you can talk to me about," he spoke, his voice low and menacing. "Where have you been keeping the Cellular Stabilizer?"

The professor stiffened and looked at Alex. "T-The Cellular...Stabilizer?"

"You heard me."

He watched the professor hesitate and shake, probably weighting his options on either telling him or keeping quiet. In the end he chose to speak, and Alex didn't like at all what he had to say.

"It's…It's gone," the professor answered with much hesitation.

Alex's heart skipped a beat. "W-What...?"

"The...The formula was being administered into the unborn replica before you and your little pack interrupted the process. It was surely destroyed in the explosion along with everything."

Alex was stunned. He stood rooted to the ground, letting his head wrap itself around the information. Just like that any hope he had for a cure, to survive, was thrown out the window. Deep down he somehow knew it was too good to be true, a magical formula that had the potency to reverse his degradation and allow him to live. Now there was nothing left. Nothing.

Alex leaned against the terminal next to the professor, shaking his head and half-heartedly waving his hand to the human. "K-Keep going...We need to shut that thing off..."

His mind was racing, and his heart was heavy. Echoes of Hunter and the Rovers' encouraging words rang in his head; words and hopes that he would fight against the degradation, to survive for just a bit longer until they found the cure to his degradation. The thought of that post-mission reunion, a proper time for them all to renew their friendship, their comradeship, was nothing now.

But then again, what did it matter? In the end he was just a replica, a reflection of someone else meant to take his spot and die so that the original wouldn't have to. He wasn't meant to be treated as a living being, just an expandable soldier.

But it didn't stop Alex from hurting. He wanted to live; he was a living being just like anyone else. Hunter's encouraging words from before assured him, he was more than just an expandable soldier. Alex screwed his eyes shut as he tries to hold back the frustrating tears. It just wasn't fair.

"The generator's not responding," Alex broke out of his thoughts when he heard the professor's alarming news.

Alex swirled around to face the terminal, watching what the professor's doing. "What do you mean it's not responding?"

The professor shook his head. "I-I don't know, but the generator's not responding. I can't get it to power down or lower its output. It can't be the generator's system; there are multiple fail safes to keep this from happening."

"Then why can't you shut it down?" Alex asked.

"I-I don' know, I-" the professor paused as he looked into a report, readings of the generator's condition. The problem wasn't the generator; it was the core from which the machine was generating its power from: the nuclear battery.

"Wait, it's not the generator," the professor said as he tensed from panic. "It's its core, the nuclear battery. It's growing unstable and-and it's overloading the machine. It must've been damaged somehow."

Alex tensed, his pupils dilating from the news. The nuclear battery was the device he had in his possession ever since he woke up in Mission Control, before Groomer took it back from him.

And it being damaged...Alex's fists shook. He remembers when he first discovered the nuclear battery in his possession, hidden in a pocket on the black uniform he was found in. He remembered how he forcefully pulled it out from the generator, electrocuting himself to the point that he damaged the same inhibitor chip that was implanted in his head. He must've damaged the nuclear battery there.

And that wasn't the only way it must've been damaged. Alex clearly remembers when he threw the battery into the wall of the dorms, how its outer metal casing dented from the blow. It looked deep from what he remembers, and it might've ruined its internal components.

And then how could he forget the small explosion he caused back in the research facility a couple of days ago. The close heat proximity of the flames must've further damaged the thing...

"This is terrible, we can't stop an unstable nuclear core like this," the professor said, his voice clearly in a panic.

_Alert. Nuclear generator has reached critical mass. Meltdown imminent in eighteen minutes. Lifting emergency lockdown on all levels. All personnel evacuate to nearest emergency elevators._

"No, no!" the professor shouted, alarmed by the new information.

Alex gritted his teeth as the updated alert came through his ears. It was his fault the nuclear generator was going critical. It was his fault half the world is in danger now. If he didn't throw the nuclear battery into the wall, if he didn't take the nuclear battery with him for Groomer to take it back, then none of this would've...

"Aaaaarrrrgh!" Alex slammed his fists into the terminal, terrifying the professor into backing away from the Rover. He wanted to blow this place up to high heaven, but this wasn't what he had in mind, periling half the world in the process.

Alex slowly raised his head. He couldn't give up and let the others down. There has to be something that he could do. "There's got to be a way to stop it."

"W-We can't," the professor said, shaking his head vigorously. "When a nuclear generator reaches critical mass, nothing can stop it!"

"What if we cool it back down?" Alex asked next, starting to get an idea. "Can that stable it enough for you to shut it down?"

"P-Perhaps, but in order to cool down a generator of this magnitude, it's impossible!" the professor said.

"Maybe not," Alex said, his eyes glowing an ice blue light. His super powers were an element given to him by Exile, and it's potentially the solution to their problem. "Listen, I'm going down there to do something about the overheating. You stay here and get ready to shut it down once it stops overheating."

"P-Pardon me? I told you, it's impossible. There's no way you would be able to-"

_Alert. Nuclear meltdown imminent in fifteen minutes. All personnel evacuate to nearest emergency elevators._

"There's no time to argue," Alex shouted at the professor. "I need you to stay here and keep an eye on that terminal to shut the generator down the second you can!"

As much as Alex would hate to admit it, he needs the professor's help. While he plans to use his ice vision to cool the generator down he won't be able to shut down the generator and retrieve the nuclear battery. That's a job the professor would have to do, or else not only will they all be in trouble, but so would half of the world.

"And you better not run after I leave," Alex warned him, knowing full well the risks on leaving the professor alone. "If this place goes up, you're going along with it too."

The professor nodded, more out of fear than agreeing. "A-All right, I'll stay. But if I don't see any changes in the next ten minutes, I'm leaving!"

Alex snorts. "Fine, whatever."

"You'll get to the generator by taking the lift down there," the professor said as he pointed to the elevator lift on the lower level.

"Right," Alex said with a nod. He walked over to the stairs but stopped at the top of them. He took a deep breath and said "I do not expect you to do this for me, but…When you see the Road Rovers again, tell them…Tell them that I said 'thank you'."

The professor was taken back by Alex's request, but before he could say anything else Alex was already down on the first level. He called the elevator, stepped inside when it arrived and rode it down to the generator room.

It then occurred to the professor. The replica isn't planning on coming back.

* * *

><p>When you're just waking up from being knocked out, a loud and obnoxious alarm is the last thing you want to hear.<p>

Hunter groaned as he slowly came to, his back on fire and his head throbbing something fierce. He gritted his teeth as he held and rubbed his head. He didn't know how long he was out, but judging by the alarms it must've been long enough for the situation to grow even worse than it was before.

"Ow…My back…!" He grunted as he rolled on his side, reaching back one hand to hold his back. "Someone get me a chiropractor…!"

He slowly rolled on his stomach and hoisted himself up on his hands and knees. As he panted and gritted his teeth he began to remember what happened between jumping into Parvo's ship and taking a nasty fall on his back.

"Parvo," he panted, recalling his escape. He shook his head in disappointment before remembering one little detail. He brought himself up to his knees and felt his belt for something. He looked up at the open hatch from where the sun was shining down and grinned. "Hah, imagine the look on his face."

After he armed the device he made sure it would do its job. That's why he threw it in along with the blaster, to get it onboard first and ready just in case he wouldn't be able to make it in. It was a xanatos gambit he took, but once he gets out there he's sure he'll find Parvo's ship crash-landed not too far off. It won't get far with a fried computer system.

Plus the most important thing, the data on the Klónos Project was surely destroyed. _It's really over, now._

_Alert. Nuclear meltdown imminent in fifteen minutes. All personnel evacuate to nearest emergency elevators immediately._

"Uh-oh, not over," the Rover said as he heard the alarm. "It's déjà vu all over again."

Hunter wasn't a rocket scientist, but he knew enough that nuclear meltdown equals bad, and it's not something you should leave unchecked. He knows his team, and they're most likely working on stopping the generators from going off and causing a meltdown right now. And rightly so, they can't let this happen even if the facility is underground.

Despite his back aching Hunter ran back through the door and back down the many corridors of the facility. With the emergency lockdown lifted Hunter has a more straightforward path to the main control room, which meant there was nothing holding him back from using his Super Speed to get there ASAP.

"I better hurry. Time to light up the track," he said as he picked up speed, soon running so fast he was leaving a trail of fire in his wake. He zigged and zagged through corners, making record time as he returned to the elevator and took it back down to the main control room.

He sighed and rested his back against the elevator wall. Parvo's last words to the Rover made him dread and think about Alex's condition. He refused to believe it, considering Parvo wasn't above to saying anything to demoralize them. But, deep inside, he had a feeling Parvo was telling the truth. The Cellular Stabilizer would only really work when it was administered during the cloning process. It made perfect sense. _No no no, that can't be. There just has to be another way._

The elevator reached the bottom just in time to distract him from the depressing truth. He leaned off the wall as the elevator doors opened…And leaving him face to face with the professor himself.

"Aaah!" the professor jumped back, not expecting to run into him at all.

"Whoa! Where do you think you're going?" Hunter asked as he stretched his arms out to the sides, blocking the path. He knew the professor was most likely waiting for the elevator to make a run for it. Talk about cutting it close.

The professor gestured wildly, as if the Rover was insane for even asking. "W-Where does it look like I'm going? I need to get out of here! The generator will soon cause a nuclear meltdown and anything in this facility is going to die!"

"But where is everybody? Where's the rest of the team?" Hunter asked, noticing the obvious absent of Rovers in the room.

"They left me and the replica down here to die, and the replica went down to the generator room under us to try to stop the generator from overheating."

Hunter shifted his weight to one foot as he listened. "And you were just going to leave him?"

"I shouldn't be down here risking my life with the replica in the first place," the professor countered. "The generator is overheating and it can't be stopped, and I will _not_ lose my life over a hunch from someone else, especially from a replica!"

"Hey," Hunter barked at the professor as he grabbed him by his lab coat, nearly lifting him off his feet as he held him. "That replica is my friend, and his name is Alex! And while you're up here trying to save your own life he's down there risking his! And we're not going anywhere until we get that generator under control!"

"Y-You're going to get us all killed putting so much trust into the replica!"

"As the leader of the Road Rovers I trust my team mates, and that includes Alex, your _replica. _Now, we're going to do our part to help in shutting down this generator. So where do we start, doc?"

The professor stared at the Rover like he was nuts. Hunter didn't react from his look and gave him a stern glare, never flinching from his doubts. It rather sickened him how the professor would rather turn tail and flee, preferring to leave others to die and save himself. And to turn his back on Alex, his own creation of all things, it was despicable. He'll probably get a kick out of keeping the professor down here with him; watch him squirm as the computer counts down to doomsday.

"T-There!" The professor pointed to the main controls behind him. "T-The replica told me that once he cooled the generator down to regain control of it and shut it down. It's the only possible way to stop it."

Hunter rushed to the terminal, dragging the professor along behind him. He stared at the controls trying to decipher which button is for what. The professor can take care of shutting down the generator when the time comes; right now he wants to get in contact with his team. "Is there a communications system on this thing?"

"Yes. Well, there _was_ one," the professor answered, nodding his head to a terminal damaged in the Rovers' previous fight.

Hunter winced at the sight. "Oh..."

_Alert. Nuclear meltdown imminent in ten minutes. Emergency lockdown on all levels lifted. All personnel evacuate to nearest emergency elevators immediately._

His acute hearing caught the faintest sound of static. Hunter looked down at his belt and found the source of the sound: his own headset. This whole underground business hasn't been kind to their comm. system, giving them the equivalent of a really cruddy service provider. But if the generator room is right below them, then Alex shouldn't be that far off from their very limited underground range, which means…

"Alex?" Hunter talked through his headset after placing it around his ear and switching it on. "Alex, can you read me? It's Hunter. Over."

The cackling static was the only thing he could hear for the first few seconds, and for a moment Hunter was contemplating on scolding himself for even thinking it was possible down here.

"_Psht…Pssssht…that you…Hunter?...Hello?"_

"Alex? Can you hear me?"

"_Bzzzzht…Yeah…"_

* * *

><p>Alex folded his arms over his chest as he rode the cargo elevator down. He was, more than ever, trying to find peace of mind and coming terms with everything that's happened during his short period of life.<p>

He knew what it meant when he came up with his plan to freeze the generator with his ice vision. The last time he used his super power it nearly drained him, shaving off those precious minutes he still had left of living. He was barely able to move, forcing Blitz to carry him out of danger. If he's planning on cooling down something as big as a nuclear generator then he's got to give it everything he's got. And he knows what that means after it's all said and done.

"Oh, mother of Russia," he found himself muttering in distraught as he sat on the floor against the elevator wall.

Even after the elevator reached the bottom and the doors opened he remained sitting in the elevator staring at nothing. He was scared, plain and simple. He didn't want to head down that hall to the generator room where the end was waiting. But what else can he do? He knew this was coming. The Cellular Stabilizer was gone, they rescued Exile, and the Klónos Project was no more. There was just one more loose end to take care of before this mission could be considered complete.

Picking himself up off the floor Alex stumbled through the elevator doors and down the hall. The hall slightly resembles the maintenance hatch he traversed through with Blitz and Shag before. Water pipes were aligned to the walls, all headed down the same direction he was going. Small pipes accompanied the bigger ones, and steam was hissing through small imperfections and cracks from the increasing pressure of the generator overheating. Time was running out.

"_Welcome back, Exile. It's wonderful to see you again."_

The further down the hall he went the harder his heart began to beat against his rib cage. Alex then began to experience the phenomena everyone swears you go through when your life is nearing its end. And it hurt him.

"_How do you feel? Do you remember me? Do you even remember yourself?"_

"_Oh Exile, it's great to see you up on your feet again!"_

"_So, how's it feel to be back in your own room?"_

"_Poor pooch, about to be done in by your own work. And for the record, there wasn't any brainwashing involved, otherwise we would've done it ages ago."_

"_When you…Disappeared, where exactly did you go? I mean, you just vanished into thin air after the Cycle Rover was destroyed. How did you end up back at the Sahara Desert a week later when we found you?"_

"_His DNA is breaking up, preventing him from using the Transdogmafiers to return into his normal dog form. Not only that, but his red and white blood cells are dissolving. They're not regenerating to replace the dying ones fast enough, so his immune system is slowly shutting down. Not to mention his deteriorating fur color and his weakening condition. In short, Exile's body is deteriorating due to almost nonexistent telomeres holding him together."_

"_I'm terribly sorry, everyone. But you never came back with Exile. What you rescued from the desert was nothing other than his replica, a product from the Klónos Project. Exile's still out there, and at the mercy of General Parvo and the Groomer."_

Alex screwed his eyes shut as the memories were being more hurtful than helpful. He came into contact with the Rovers with the memories of one of their own. He took his identity and fooled them all, fooled himself. For all intent and purposes he didn't have the right to be there, to be a Rover after such a deception. But they never held it against him; instead they forgave him, helped him forgive himself, and still welcomed them into their pack regardless of the deception.

"_Listen, I know it's not fair what Parvo did to Exile, and what he did to you. It's wrong. But, even though your memories weren't what you thought they were, even though they were fakes to you, the feelings, the joy and sadness they brought to you, those feelings weren't lies to you."_

"_The pride, the joy you felt of being back with us, being a Rover, everything that made you smile and grin and say 'I love being a Road Rover,' those feelings were all yours and yours alone. I mean, body, memories, powers, abilities, all of that can be copied and given to another. But what you feel from them, what makes your heart pump in excitement and fear, you really can't copy those. They're special, unique, and they're all yours."_

"_You call yourself a thing, you keep comparing yourself to a robot. But the way I see it I see a very confused and lost dog who became a victim of Parvo's evil plans, who made him think he's just a tool and a puppet. But to me…Aw heck, to all of us, you're as real as any one of us. Sure, you have bits of our friend Exile's memories and his Russian talk, but that's where the similarities stop. Everything else, your feelings, your heart, it's yours and yours alone. They're special."_

"_In the end, you're still a Road Rover. You've helped us ever since you got here, and you've really made us all smile again. And to me, that's good enough."_

"_And hey, once this is all over, we'll all have one big get-together. And then there isn't gonna be any more lies. We're goin' to be friends for real."_

Alex smiled and laughed. He was really looking forward to that big get-together too. But judging how things are going now he's going to have to take a rain-check. A _long _rain-check.

_Alert. Nuclear meltdown imminent in ten minutes. Emergency lockdown on all levels lifted. All personnel evacuate to nearest emergency elevators immediately._

"Right, no turning back now," Alex said after hearing the repeating alert. He cracked his knuckles and continued on his way, spotting the end of the hall up ahead.

"_Ale-Pzzzzht…Alex, can you read-Psht…It's Hunt-Ssshht-Ove-Bzzzt…"_

Alex froze as his communicator went off. That sounded like Hunter. He already took care of Parvo and now he's nearby to the point that their very limited range can pick each other's reception? Wow, he's fast.

Not sparing another second Alex reached for his comm. system and placed the headset over his ear. "Is that you Hunter?" he asked, trying to establish the connection. "Hello?"

"_Ale-Bzzzt…Can you hea-Zzzzt-me?"_

Hunter must be right above him, right in the main control room; it has to be the only explanation why their signals can reach each other down here. Just like how he could intercept their signals when they were in the maintenance hatch. Alex glanced down the hall. He can barely hear him now, and if he goes further he might lose the signal.

"Yeah," he replied. He wasn't about to let this last opportunity go to speak with his friend. "Just barely, signal is not too clear."

"_I hear that-Pshht…But it's good to hear ya, buddy."_

"Likewise," Alex replied. "Is the professor still there?"

"_Yeah, he is. Caught him just when he was about to run off though."_

Alex rolled his eyes; he wasn't surprised to hear that.

"_Listen, I know we don't have a lot of time, but I just want you to know that I got your back. You just freeze that generator down and I'll make sure to shut it down the instant we can."_

Alex nodded. "Thanks, Hunter. I uhhh…Appreciate it. And uhhh…There's also something I have to tell you," Alex took a deep breath, finding this harder than he thought it would be. "I uhhh…Wanted to thank you, for everything you've done for me."

"…_Uhhh…Sure, don't mention it…But uhhh, you know this isn't goodbye yet. I mean-"_

"The Cellular Stabilizer's gone, Hunter," Alex said, knowing he's dropping a bombshell. "There was a…An explosion in the lab and, well, the formula was destroyed in the blast. It's gone."

There was a pause in-between transmission. Alex knew the news stunned Hunter, who was always so optimistic about finding the Cellular Stabilizer and somehow curing him.

"…_Oh Alex…I-I'm…"_

Alex shrugged, somehow keeping a brave front. "Eh, it's okay. Somehow I knew it was going to be like this. Heh, and you know what else I found out today? That using my super powers causes my degradation to go faster. Talk about a bad deal, eh?"

"_Heh, o-oh really? Y-Yeah, sounds like a terrible deal. You better go get a refund for that."_

"Hahah, yeah…So, odds are good I'm not coming back once I step into the generator room." As he spoke Alex found himself sliding against the wall to sit on the floor. He was trying to enjoy as much as he could his last conversation with Hunter, knowing full well that this was as far as he was going to go.

On the other end Hunter found himself doing the same. He was sitting on the floor as well, his back resting against the terminal. It pained him to say the least. So many promises and hopes, only to see them all empty and meaningless now.

"Aw Alex, I'm so sorry," Hunter said as he rubbed his forehead. "I got all of our hopes up after all this time. Colleen's gonna kill me when I tell her. I am never going to hear the end of this one."

"_Bolshoi_, don't be sorry," Alex told him with a gesture of his hand. "Your hope and optimism kept me going. You made me feel good being friends with you, to be alive. I have my own identity thanks to you, and…Well, I'm glad I met you, met everyone. And I'm glad to have been a Road Rover. Glad to have been given a chance to live. You're a good friend, Hunter."

"Hey, you'll always be our friend, and a member of the pack," Hunter said with a proud smile. "And you'll always be an honorary member of the Road Rovers, no matter what." He paused to rub his eyes, choking back the tears. "You're…You're going to be missed, pal."

"I'll be missing you all too…Thanks for everything…" Alex smiled as he hoisted himself up to his feet, his eyes stinging from Hunter's words. "And uhhh…Yeah, that's kind of all I got, so…Uhhh…So yeah, goodbye…"

Hunter chuckled. "Yeah, goodbye."

_Alert. Nuclear meltdown imminent in five minutes. All personnel evacuate to nearest emergency elevators immediately and reach safe distance._

"Five minutes!" Hunter heard the professor yell at him from the upper level of the main control room. "We only have five minutes! What are you doing down there?"

"Oy, talk about killing the mood," Hunter deadpanned.

Hearing that there is only five minutes left Alex continued his way down the hall. With a heavy heart he flipped his comm. system off and removied the headset from his ear as well, dropping the equipment to the floor. With that done he stepped forward, making it into the generator room. _Goodbye, everyone…_

The room was adequately big. To the far left was a double-hulled door which – if his memory serves right – leads back to one of the wings of the laboratory, where he...Where he was originally kept. His tank shouldn't be too far in...

_Agh, focus!_ Alex shook his head, bringing his attention back to the situation at hand.

There were at least four generators in front of him. Three he assumed to be the main power generators that power up the whole base. And the biggest one, the one in the middle in front of him, was the nuclear generator. The machine was on overdrive, whining and running agonizingly loud. Alex had to slightly cover his ears the closer he went to the thing.

Alex soon found himself grunting loudly and jumped back as he shielded his face. He could feel the scorching heat radiating from the overheating nuclear generator. It was so overwhelming he couldn't get near it to take the nuclear battery out to force it to shutdown. He definitely has to use his ice vision to cool it down if he wants to get anywhere near it.

This was it. There was no turning back. It was either him or leave half the world vulnerable to nuclear pollution and radiation. Alex took a deep breath, firmed his stance and glared at the nuclear generator like it just ruined his life and stole his future. In this case, it kind of did.

"Okay, this is it," he growled, his eyes beginning to glow an entrancing blue color. "Exile, please lend me your strength one more time. I got to stop this thing, right here, right now!"

With a growl he focused and threw his arms to the side with a powerful howl. The freezing blue sub-zero lasers shot from his eyes and struck head-on into the generator. There was a loud hiss as the freezing pair of lasers made contact with the scorching machine, ice melting off as soon as it was formed. Slowly the sub-zero beams overpowered the heat, and the sheet of ice persisted as it slowly spread, covering the generator.

The whole room was then soon engulfed in a thick blanket of steam, decreasing visibility. But Alex persisted and kept his ice vision locked on the generators, never slacking on his assault.

A few seconds into the struggle Alex could already feel his strength leaving him. His body was in pain, the blood and adrenaline rushing through his body accelerating the rate of the degradation. As he kept using his powers he began to develop chest pains, that throbbing headache he didn't miss was also coming back to assault his skull. His body was telling him to stop, but his mind pushed him on to continue.

An agonizing pain jolted right in Alex's chest. He gasped and dropped to his knees, his ice vision failing him as he dropped forward. He caught himself on one hand while clutching his chest with the other as it burned. It was like a heart attack. He gasped for breath but realized he couldn't breathe. He was choking again; his blood wasn't delivering oxygen to his heart. He nearly blacked out as he fell on his side, panting and choking.

His hearing was going as well, but he could still barely hear the ice cracking off the generator. It was still going, and overheating. He couldn't stop. It wasn't over yet. He tried to move, but found that he couldn't. That only terrified him more.

His vision was going too. In and out his eyes focused, the steam clouding the room confusing him if he was going blind or not. At this rate he wouldn't be surprised.

_Is it over? Am I just going to die here? That generator is about to go and I'm…_

His thoughts when back to everything that's happened in his two weeks of life. He thought about the Road Rovers, his friends, his family. Everyone. He wanted to protect them, to give them a chance to escape. His heart ached at the thought of failing them, the generator going up and taking them all with it. He couldn't let that happen.

He was meant to be a perfect soldier, with no sense of self-preservation that didn't think about anything but the mission at hand. The Klónos Project has, for all intent and purposes, failed in achieving that. It created life, not a machine.

Alex suddenly took a huge gulp of air, finally finding a moment to breathe again. His lungs filled with oxygen he slowly picked himself up to one knee, forcing his body up the rest of the way. He stumbled a little before finding his balance, lifted his head and released another stream of his ice vision right into the generator. He didn't care his chest was still aching.

"I…Am a Road Rover," he cheered himself on as he encased the whole generator in a block of ice, fighting against the heat before it could melt any of it off. "I am to protect and help the world and others…I am no puppet or 'replica'…And you lose, Parvo!"

With a final push he amplified his ice vision into the generator, soon enough overcoming the scorching heat through sheer force of will. A thick layer of ice encased the generator, its temperature dropping to an acceptable amount. Then came a computerized message that was like music to Alex's ears.

_Nuclear generator under stable condition. Authorized personnel advised to terminate generator usage immediately._

Alex had done it, he had used his ice vision to calm down the raging monster, and the readings showing on the monitors back in the main control room were proof of that. The professor was stunned as he couldn't take his eyes off of them. He had no faith that the replica could actually stop the unstable generator, let alone cool it down enough for them to shut it down.

"Now, professor," Hunter cried.

The professor instantly got to work. In a matter of seconds he inputted the commands and the generator began to shut down, much to the relief of everyone in the facility. The imminent nuclear disaster was averted, all thanks to the replica he himself created.

"It's shutting down," the professor reported with a relieved sigh. "He did it...The replica actually did it…"

Hunter mentally congratulated Alex, but he didn't have it in him to celebrate the victory out loud. If what Alex said before was true, then…Hunter pulled himself away from the terminal and ran straight to the elevator that leads to the generator room.

As Hunter waited for the elevator Alex panted and heaved as he stood in the middle of the generator room. He slightly leaned forward, his arms dangling limp as he tries to recover from the massive assault he just pulled. The ice sheet encasing the generator cracked as it settled over the scorching generator. There was so much ice the room felt chillier and the Rover's breath was visible in puffs of mists.

Alex watched with a smile as the generator came to a complete halt. Hunter kept his word. And just in time too. His vision was beginning to blur, his hearing slowly began to go and his composure and balance was being thrown out of whack.

With a lot of effort Alex slowly made his way to the nuclear generator. The generator was cool enough for him to safely get near it without burning himself. Not like it mattered anymore.

With a shaky hand he reached into the generator's compartment and grabbed the nuclear battery hidden inside. He wasn't sure if he grabbed anything at first as he soon found out that he had lost his very sense of touch. If it wasn't for that tingling feeling of electricity hitting him he wouldn't have figured out he had grabbed what he wanted.

He brought his hand back out after making a strained effort to pull it out, then he grinned a little to himself as he stared at the nuclear battery in his hand. He noticed the dented metal from when he threw it at the wall. The battery was also emitting smoke, and it was so hot it was burning through his glove and burning his hand. He would've cursed and dropped the thing already if he could still feel anything.

It was over. Mission accomplished, right?

Despite his hearing going Alex heard the sounds of incoming footsteps. He slowly turned halfway around like the effort alone agonized him. Hunter already had made it down to join him, and he noticed his horrified face after seeing the state that he's in.

Alex looked terrible, like a powerful disease had grabbed a hold of him. His eyes were red from exhaustion, his fur damped sweating from a high fever, and he was panting like he just ran a mile without taking a break. He looked like he was already at death's door.

"Alex," Hunter called out to him.

Alex slowly smiled with a tired look. He held the nuclear battery up and gently waved it at him, chuckling weakly at his victory. But at last his strength failed him, and the nuclear battery fell from his loosened hand.

"No!" Hunter cried as he ran forward. He threw his arms forward and caught Alex as he fell back after his legs gave out from under him.

He held him up in his arms as he slowly kneeled down with him. His body was dead weight, and his eyes were no longer open. He shook him once in a vain attempt to wake him up, not wanting to believe that this was it.

"Come on, Alex, wake up," he whispered as he tried to wake him back up. "Come on; you can't give out on us now. What about that get-together we promised to have? You…Y-You can't just leave me to say goodbye to the others for you. Colleen's gonna have both our tails for this if you...If you…"

"Come on, Alexander!" He gently slapped the Husky's cheek just like the last time, but this time it didn't make him mutter a Russian word or even flutter his eyes. The leader frowned, hesitating to check for a pulse. But when he did he let out a short gasp when he found none. Gritting his teeth he closed his eyes and bowed his head, choking back a sob. "No…No no no…!"

He's gone. Alexander was gone.


	18. Ending

_Pssshhhhht…Pzzzzhht…Tzzzzzzht..._

"_This is Aki broadcasting from Road Rover Mission Control America Branch."_

"_Rover Satellite now in orbit over Sahara Desert and locked on to the Sonic Rover's signal and Road Rovers comm. systems."_

"_Road Rovers, please respond."_

"This is Colleen responding from the Sonic Rover. Read you loud and clear."

"_Finally, it's good to hear from you guys again. What's the status on the mission?"_

"Exile's back with us, gov'. Shag, Blister and I are back in the Sonic Rover with 'im."

"_That's great! Mission accomplished, then."_

"Right, but Hunter and Alex are still down at the base. We haven't had much luck contacting them and we're gettin' worried."

"_They're still down there? All right, hold on, I'm amplifying the Rover Satellite's signal to ground-penetrating capabilities...If Hunter and Alex can hear this transmission, please respond. This is Aki broadcasting from Road Rover Mission Control America Branch."_

_Pssshhht…Tzzzzht…_

"_Hunter? Alex? This is Aki, please respond."_

"This is Hunter, I hear you, Aki."

"_Hunter, there you are. Is everything okay? What's your status?"_

"There was a problem with the nuclear generator, but we took care of it. Parvo got away, but he won't be a problem for a long time. The Klónos Project's gone, and the professor's in custody…"

"_That's good news. And what about Alex? Have you heard from him?"_

"Alex's...He's with me...But..."

"Tell the others to prep the Sonic Rover. We're returning to the surface…And let them and Master know...We got a Rover down..."

* * *

><p>'<em>The Klónos Project…'<em>

'_It's still a scary subject to think about. How something like this even exists,' _Hunter thought as he rode the elevator back up to the surface, thinking back to the past couple of weeks. '_How could anyone think of it as a good idea, especially for what it was meant for?'_

He glanced over his shoulder to the professor. He was sitting in a corner of the elevator, muttering not a word as he hung his head down. Either he was depressed that his precious project was done for, or he realized the error of his ways and was drowning in regret. Hunter hoped the latter, but he really didn't give a dang at this point. '_But, more importantly, when you realize what the consequences are...'_

Hunter closed his eyes as he adjusted the weight of his cargo in his arms. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving him behind despite that he was already gone. He was one of them right up until the end. And like any member of his team he deserves a proper send-off, an honorary memorial and burial.

'_Mass-producing living beings as disposable soldiers...It still surprises and angers me that Parvo even tried it, especially on one of our own. I'm just relieved we managed to stop him before it got any worse.'_

'_But…It still shouldn't have happened in the first place.' _Hunter opened his eyes. He listened to the gentle hum of the working elevator as he tried to find the words he was going to say when he faced the others with the grim scene. '_You didn't deserve this, Alex. You were a living being, not a…Thing meant to be a tool. I just wish I could've saved you, to give you a chance to live your own life.'_

'_You made us proud though, a true Road Rover until the end, even after you found out the truth about yourself.' _Hunter smiled a bit as the memories came rushing back to him. '_You held together until you got back at Parvo, giving him the butt-kicking he totally deserved for what he did.'_

'_You can rest easy, buddy. We'll make sure it doesn't happen again. This won't happen to another dog, cat, or human ever again. The Klónos Project will be no more after this. I promise.'_

Hunter closed his eyes as he sighed through his nose. They really dodged a bullet today. He couldn't deny it. Cano-Mutants are one thing, but Parvo could've gotten a lot more powerful and nigh unstoppable if he actually succeeded in mass-producing his own personal army of Cano-Sapiens; as capable and smart as they are. That is, if he succeeded without a hitch. Alex's rebellion on a huge scale would've been a disaster for him…And a headache to sort through later for the Rovers.

His eyes opened once again as he looked over his shoulder at the professor. He turned around and took a step toward the human. "Hey…"

The professor raised his head at the Rover. He looked depressed, apparently not caring anymore what his fate is now. He was caught, and his project was utterly destroyed. There was nothing left for him now but the cold lonely jail cell waiting for his arrival.

"Are you sorry?"

The professor tilted his head. "Sorry?" He sighed and lowered his head again. "What does it matter…"

"I think it does matter. You started a project that created life, and you tried to make it into a tool. You didn't care about the consequences and look at what happened. You hurt innocent people and because of you a friend of ours is dead, and he won't ever get to live his life out. I mean, take a good look. Is this really any different from how it was before you came up with the project?"

The professor looked back up at the Rover. His eyes slowly lowered to the Cano-Sapien in Hunter's arms, his snow-white fur – bleached from the degradation – a testament to what it must've suffered through, considering it started with a curious but captivating blue fur. He could only imagine what other inconveniences it went through during its final days.

After the fact, in hindsight, it didn't look any different from seeing a fellow soldier who'd fallen in battle.

"It…Wasn't supposed to care, or rebel," the professor said, trying to cling to any excuse as to what happened. "Even though it was a canine I took every precaution to make sure it would…But I still don't know how this could've happened…Where did I go wrong…"

Hunter frowned and shook his head. He still doesn't get it.

"It doesn't matter what you tried to do," he said. "In the end you still couldn't control him. He wasn't a machine, or even something you could control in the first place. He was a living being, with his own soul and feelings. You tried to play god but it backfired. You couldn't achieve what you wanted with just one; try to imagine what would've happened if you actually tried with a whole bunch of them."

The professor hanged his head once again. But Hunter persisted. "Your work did more harm than good, professor. That's the sad part. You were smart enough to pull something like this off, just imagine how much better you would've done with more beneficial, not to mention legal, research."

Hunter walked back to the spot he was previously standing in. "You'll have all the time to think about what you've done in prison. Maybe then you'll come up with better ideas in the name of science, because as far as I'm concerned you're done with your research on the Klónos Project."

The professor curled himself up against the corner. Though the Rover's words were simmering in his head he still felt lost without his precious research. He still couldn't figure out how. How could he have failed after so many years of careful research? Where did he go wrong? Was the Rover right?

Not that it mattered now. He'll never know. His career and freedom is over. There will be no laboratories in prison. The military will see to it that he'll never get out once they find out about this, if they didn't already know.

Minutes later the elevator doors open, letting in the rays of the setting sun and a cool refreshing breeze. Hunter stepped out into the desert, a bit disorienting to feel the shuffling sand under him compared to the stable metal floor from before. He closed his eyes to the cooling breeze, only opening them when he heard the whines of a jet engine over in the distance. He looked up and spotted the Sonic Rover hovering toward them for the pick-up.

He watched with a blank look on his face as the Sonic Rover's main hatch opened, and out poured the rest of the Rovers to reunite with their leader. Hunter saw their shocked looks when they spotted their recently deceased comrade in his arms, their reactions unsurprising to him, but it hurt him all the same.

"Oh, no…" Colleen whispered as she covered her mouth in shock. Her head shook in disbelief.

Shag whimpered from behind Blitz as he tried his best not to collapse in a crying fit. It wasn't working as moments later he held his paws up to his eyes as his crying began. As for Blitz, the Doberman merely stood erected and rooted in his spot, his eyes wide and his mouth agape as he was at a loss for words.

Hunter tried to smile at least. He'd be lying if he said his eyes weren't watering as well. A bittersweet smile. "Let's go home, guys…"

* * *

><p><strong>One week later…<strong>

As far as saving the world goes this past week has been pretty uneventful.

Everything else in-between though, it's been rather depressing.

Mission Control hasn't been the same ever since they returned from their last mission. The Rovers grieved for their fallen comrade, and as a fellow Road Rover they honored him with a burial, and properly added his name and data to the Road Rovers Database, where he will permanently be remembered among the ranks of the Road Rovers.

Hunter stared at the beautiful blue ocean in only his blue swimming trunks as he sat on the warm sand of the beach just by the outskirts of Mission Control. Master had allow them all to take the week off following their last difficult mission, to give them time to unwind and come to terms with the recent loss. Everyone agreed, but Hunter chose to stay at Mission Control for a little while longer. He figured a nice day on the beach would help him relax, even if by himself.

Each of the Rovers dealt with the pain in their own way. Shag eventually turned his attention to the photos he's been taking after he stopped his sobbing. He revealed to the Rovers that they were all for a scrapbook he's been working on for the past couple of months. A few of the photos he had taken were dated a week back – which always got him teary-eyed and a little whimpery. But organizing them into the scrapbook gave him a sense of peace. The scrapbook was meant for happy memories to look back on, so maybe they can still be.

Blitz, you could say, changed a little. His eyes have changed…And sharpened. The promise that he made a week ago is on its way on being kept and realized. His involvement around Mission Control has been going up the past few days, and when the other Mission Control branches have contacted them for backup or another set of helping hands Blitz has always been one of the firsts to come forward. The gym in Mission Control as well has seen more use from him.

Colleen went about her way with her karate practice. Not only were they to sharpen her skills, but it also served as a stress reliever for her. It helped her meditate to come to terms with the loss, and strengthened her resolve to look out and take care for all of them. It's funny; her practices and meditation have also seemed to have helped her with her memory. She's been managing to remember Blitz's name and who he was, much to his delight…For a couple of days anyway. It didn't last long.

As for Hunter, he's been managing to get by. It was his efforts along with the Master's that the addition of Alex's history and information to the Database was possible. He wanted to make sure that he would be remembered, to inspire future recruits of his heroics and remember them all the most important thing: No matter the species, for every dog there is a Road Rover within.

Although, those weren't the only reasons why he's been so busy in Mission Control, and why he never left.

"Hey, comrade Hunter."

Hunter's ears perked as he was interrupted from enjoying the cool ocean breeze. He shifted and looked over his shoulder. "Hey," he smiled broadly. He wasn't the only Rover who stayed at Mission Control during his much-earned week off.

He was also keeping this other Rover company. A Siberian Husky with blue fur. Tall, broad shoulders and Russian to his core, he only woke up from his catatonic state a few days ago, much sooner than the Master, Aki and Professor Hubert anticipated.

He was wearing a white sleeveless top with blue long jeans, with his fur matted in a way you could tell he just got out of bed. He used to look better, but spending two weeks in stasis with chemicals and formulas pumped into your body certainly won't do you any favors. Despite everything he's gone through he was standing on his own two feet. His fur color was healthy, his nose was cold and wet, and no long-lasting side effects other than a headache and periodic disorientation.

A treatment or two will be needed to get all of the chemicals out of his body, but thankfully it was deemed that he will make a full recovery. _Exile, the first and only subject of the Klónos Project._

Yes, the Klónos Project, the catalyst of this whole past crisis. Once the Rovers returned from their mission their first order of business post-mission was to find and destroy any trace of the diabolical project. The military was very cooperative and once word got out they ordered a complete purge of the Klónos Project from their systems and databases. The Master was allowed a full system sweep after the fact, and thankfully everything was gone. For all intent and purposes, the Klónos Project was gone for good. Forever.

"Mind if I take seat here? I _need_ to get out of my roomski," he asked.

Hunter chuckled and motioned a hand to the empty spot next to him. "Be my guest."

Exile grinned and happily sat down next to Hunter, sighing loudly in relief to the refreshing and clean ocean air. He was just so happy to get out of that stuffy room. He leaned back on his hands as he took in the warm rays of the sun, legs sprawled out and that familiar happy-go-lucky grin plastered on his face.

Hunter watched with an amused smile. "You look happy to be out."

"What do you think?" Exile said. "I've been going crazy in stuffy room. Needed to get out and stretch my legs or I'd go all crazy-like."

"Hahah, I hear ya. But still, you gotta take it easy after all. You're still recovering."

"_Bolshoi,_ don't you start worrying about me again. I feel fineski. Just let me enjoy the beach for a while."

Hunter rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Heh, sorry."

Exile didn't have any memories of what happened to him after he disappeared. His recollection only went as far as the Cycle Rover's explosion. Anything after that was a blank. He doesn't remember Parvo, the tank, the professor, nothing. He only learned the extent of the damage a day or two after he woke up; about his capture, about the Klónos Project…And about Alex.

"Comrade?"

Hunter looked at Exile, noticing his eyes staring intently to the ocean. "Hm?"

"About this Road Rover…Alexander, was it?"

"Uh-huh?"

"You say he was made from my DNA from Klónos Project by bad guy Parvo. He was supposed to be ultimate soldier for him for army, right?"

"Yeah," Hunter replied with a nod as he shifted to rest his elbows over his crossed legs, resting his chin on his hands. "Parvo never managed to discover the formula to create proper Cano-Sapiens, so he tried the next best thing he could find. He tried to start his own army of Cano-Sapiens with the Klónos Project, but in the end he couldn't control him like how he could control the Cano-Mutants."

"His spirit as a Road Rover wouldn't allow it. But he also had help. He had you," he mentioned as he looked at Exile.

Exile tilted his head. "Me?"

"Yup. When he was born a part of you was with him. He told us how that part kept telling him that he was working for the wrong side, and with your help he escaped, found us, and together we thwarted Parvo's evil plan once and for all."

Exile smiled and nodded. "He sounds like strong and mighty comrade. Wish I could meet him."

"Same here. You two would've gotten along just fine like two peas in a pod."

Exile chuckled at the saying. It felt weird, to know that someone like Alex only existed because of him. It made him feel sort of like a father. Exile tilted his head at the thought and blinked. He never thought he'd be a father at his age, or even a father at all. In the end he discarded the thought aside and settled for the more pleasing thought of feeling like he had a brother.

Exile leaned forward off of his arms and looked at Hunter. "Did this Alex really look like me?"

Hunter gave a playful grin. "Like a twin brother!"

"Hahah, that much?"

"Sure! In fact, I have a picture to prove it!"

Hunter reached for the pack next to him where he kept his things. He rummaged through the stuff and found the picture he spoke of. It was one of the first photos Shag took with his camera when Alex woke up from his tree-day coma.

He smiled as he looked at the picture and handed it over to Exile. "Here, take a look. The guy between me and Colleen."

Exile looked at the photo. It was a photo of the group. Their faces were happy, as if they were in the middle of a celebration. The Rover Hunter referred to was easy to spot; he stood out like a sore thumb. He was wearing a black uniform while everyone had their trademark Rover uniform. Aside from that he might have as well have been seeing himself in the photo.

Hunter was right. He looks just like him, like a twin brother.

Although… "You say this is him?" He said as he tilted his head and the photo, poking fun at the resemblance. "_Bolshoi, _he looks nothing like me! I am much taller and not pudgy-looking! And my fur isn't that dark!"

Hunter laughed. "He so _does_ look like you, big guy!"

"Well…Maybe a little," Exile conceded a little as he stared at Alex in the photo, tilting both his head and the picture as he stared at every little detail. A couple of seconds later he said "I should be thanking you, comrade Alex. Your help was very much appreciated and you will be missed."

Hunter silently agreed as he took back the photo. He would've made a powerful addition to the team.

As Hunter was putting away the photo he froze as he heard a very distinctive beeping. It was his collar, alerting him that something was going down. He immediately rummaged through his pack and found his headset. He quickly equipped it to his ear as he went up on his feet, getting in contact with Mission Control.

"Yes, Master? What is it?" Hunter said once answering the call. He nodded to the information. "Roger, I'm on my way back."

Exile tilted his head to the urgency. "Problem, comrade?"

"Just a simple case," Hunter said, picking up his pack after gathering his things. "Someone's been dognapping dogs from their homes and Master got a lock on the perp's truck. I'm off to intercept and take him out."

Exile's ears perked. It sounded like an easy job. He smiled and jumped to his feet. "I will go with, comrade. I need the exercise."

Hunter tilted his head and smirked. "You sure? You've only been up on your feet for a couple of days."

Exile waved his hand dismissively. "_Bolshoi_, I am fine. Besides, it sounds like piece of beef. I am going."

"Heh," Hunter smiled and chuckled. "All right, then. Let's hit the road!"

And off they went to Mission Control, as dutiful and focused as ever. Together they rescued a dear friend, but they'll never forget the friend they lost to get him back. And while he may be gone, his spirit still lives on together with them. Together they'll remember and honor the fallen. Together they'll face and fight anything, for a better tomorrow, for humans and dogs alike.

_For you, for everyone, that I promise. We'll be together. Together, as Road Rovers._

_**The End**_

* * *

><p>The sun was unbearable. She couldn't believe they were left here, under the hot scorching sun.<p>

There was nothing any of them could've done. The computers were all fried, the engines overloaded and all the data in the hard drives were gone. The General's latest scheme was a total loss, including the ship, all thanks to that meddling Rover and his blasted gadgets.

And now here they both were, dragging their boots as they traversed across the desert for any signs of life. Any way they could get back to their emergency base, get back to square one and, more importantly, for water.

"Groomer," Parvo hissed, his mouth and throat dry. "Next time, we're sticking to the Cano-Mutants. It's much cheaper and reliable..."

"I...Agree, General..." Groomer panted in agreement. "But first, we need water..."

"Look...For a cactus..."

"There aren't any, General..."

Parvo groaned. He was hot, thirsty and could potentially drop any given moment, but one thing kept him going; the one thing that's been fueling him with hate all these years.

An everlasting need for revenge against the Road Rovers.


End file.
